Bronny James heart attack: Skip Bayless deduces prime reason slowing down LeBron James' son amidst rough USC freshman year

Following an frightening incident months before the season started, Bronny James' future came into question after suffering a heart attack during an USC practice session.

Since then, Bronny James has had an up-and-down true freshman season for the USC Trojans. The son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is averaging 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.2 blocks in just 20.1 minutes per game while shooting 37.1% from the field, 27.5% from three-point range and 62.1% from the free-throw line.

While Skip Bayless is one of LeBron's biggest critics, he recently cut Bronny slack for his tough season, noting that he returned to the court less than five months after suffering cardiac arrest. Speaking on UNDISPUTED, he stated:

"I have the utmost respect for how much he loves this kid. All his kids, but obviously this one, his namesake because this one does have basketball skill. I really liked him in the McDonald's game. That's the last time I got to see him on a stage where he rose and shone and remember he did have a heart issue."

Bayless continued:

"I don't know the seriousness of it, but it slowed him down. He got a little bit of a late start this year, his first college year with your school USC. And he's averaging six three and three. Not exactly eye popping numbers for a team that's struggling."

Check out Skip Bayless' comments on Bronny James below (starting at the 5:58 mark):

Bayless noted that he believes Bronny will declare for the 2024 NBA Draft despite ESPN moving him to their 2025 NBA mock draft. LeBron has previously shared that the Trojans guard will make the final decision on his NBA future.

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LeBron James defends Bronny James amid mock draft change

ESPN made the decision to move Bronny James from their 2024 NBA mock draft to their 2025 NBA mock draft. LeBron James voiced his opinion on the matter in a since-deleted tweet, stating:

"Can yall please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball. The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do. If y’all don’t know he doesn’t care what a mock draft says, he just WORKS! Earned Not Given!"

He also advised younger athletes to avoid the noise, adding:

"And to all the other kids out there striving to be great just keep your head down, blinders on and keep grinding. These Mock Drafts doesn’t matter one bit! I promise you! Only the WORK MATTERS!! Let’s talk REAL BASKETBALL PEOPLE! ✌🏾👑"

Check out a screenshot of LeBron James' tweets on Bronny James below:

LeBron has previously expressed an interest in teaming up with his son before calling it quits on a legendary NBA career. However, it remains unclear if Bronny will declare for the 2024 NBA Draft.

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