Every once in a while, we get a chance to share a positive story that falls outside the political world. This is one of those stories.
We’ve written before about the fact NBA star LeBron James happens to have a teenage son who is also a talented basketball player. At the time, LeBron James Jr., who goes by Bronny, was finishing up his high school career. As my colleague Jerry Wilson wrote:
Bronny, who will be entering his junior year of high school this fall, was playing this past weekend in a prep showcase mini-tournament at … LeBron James Arena, which is on the grounds of James’ high school alma mater in Akron, Ohio.
(see: LeBron James, Basketball Dad)
Now, Bronny is about to enter his freshman year at USC. But the unthinkable happened last Monday, while he was taking part in a basketball workout::
Bronny, LeBron’s oldest child, suffered a cardiac arrest during a workout at USC on Monday. The 18-year-old was released from Cedars-Sinai Hospital on Thursday.
“Thanks to the swift and effective response by the USC athletics’ medical staff, Bronny James was successfully treated for a sudden cardiac arrest. He arrived at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center fully conscious, neurologically intact and stable,” a statement from the hospital read.
LeBron thanked fans for their “love and prayers” for the family in a social media post on Thursday. Then on Friday, Bronny was well enough to join his family for dinner out at a restaurant:
TMZ posted photos of Bronny out to dinner with his family, which it says were taken Friday night. They show the teenager with his father outside celebrity hot spot Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica.
Wearing black pants and a zip-up hoodie, Bronny carried his phone while standing outside the Italian restaurant.
But it was a heartwarming clip that LeBron shared on his Instagram account showing Bronny entertaining his siblings at a piano that captivated people Saturday. He wrote in the post:
GRAND RISING!! God Is Great! @bronny YOU ARE AMAZING!!! Simple as that! Keep going Young (king emoji)!!! We’re here right with you every step of the way!
This has to be a cherished moment for the family, getting to spend time with Bronny in the comforts of their own home instead of at a hospital. You can even hear the proud father in the background, praising his son.
I can’t help but be reminded of the NFL’s Damar Hamlin suffering what was described as a sudden cardiac arrest, back in January during a game between his team, the Buffalo Bills, and the Cincinnati Bengals. It brought out the best in people and brought Americans together. Of course, Hamlin himself led the way in making the story about everyone but himself–and meeting the moment to help others with his charity. We’ll see how the young man in this story acquits himself going forward. Seeing as he has already learned to seize opportunities on the basketball court, maybe he’ll find a way to turn this scary incident into a positive.