USC’s Bronny James has been medically cleared to play in the NBA by the league’s Fitness to Play Panel, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony.
James collapsed and suffered cardiac arrest during a workout at USC last July. He was hospitalized and in ICU before being discharged three days later. He was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and subsequently underwent surgery.
After being cleared to return to basketball, James returned to the USC team in December. After the NCAA season, he entered the transfer portal and declared for the NBA draft, maintaining his college eligibility.
According to ESPN, James’ approval from the panel will allow him to fully participate in this week’s Combine. James, the eldest son of NBA star LeBron James, is expected to participate in 5-on-5 scrimmages starting Tuesday.
James, 19, played in 23 games for USC during his freshman season and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He joined the Trojans as a four-star recruit and the No. 27 overall pick in the 2023 class, as ranked by Rivals.
Many scouts and executives are curious to see how he performs at the Combine in NBA spacing during 5v5 scrimmage play on Tuesday and Wednesday. The next 3 days in Chicago will determine if/where he will be called up in June. https://t.co/4bMPw7VyfP
-Krysten Peek (@krystenpeek) May 13, 2024
“He’s a very smart player and has a solid feel for the game,” an NBA scout told Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports in March. “He needs more time to develop, but the fundamental mechanics are there.”
There is a May 29 deadline for James to decide whether to remain in the NBA draft or return to NCAA ball. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that James is expected stay in the drafttaking place June 26-27 in Brooklyn, NY
LeBron James said in the past he wants to play with his son before he retired. The Los Angeles Lakers hold the 55th overall pick and the idea is that the team would be interested in signing Bronny James in hopes of re-signing his father there for a seventh season.
But if a different team picks Bronny, it will lead to some interesting speculation in the days leading up to the opening of the NBA free agent market.
