The Los Angeles Lakers made history when Bronny James and LeBron James shared the court during a recent preseason game. It was the official dawn of the era of the first father-son duo in NBA history, with the James family taking center stage against the Phoenix Suns.

However, about a year before they became teammates, the James family went through a life-changing experience that turned their world upside down.

Bronny James was preparing for a highly anticipated freshman season with the USC Trojans when disaster struck on July 24, 2023. He suffered cardiac arrest during a pre-season workout, and it was later revealed that he has a congenital heart defect that can be treated and in to be followed in the future.

During the third and fourth episodes of Netflix’s new NBA series, From fiveopened up with LeBron James about the helpless experience of having to watch his son go through a life-threatening event.

“When I knew he was healthy enough to play basketball, it was an incredible feeling. But it’s just a lot of nerves, for sure. A lot of nerves. Because we almost lost him.”

James continued:

“You know, you never, ever, in all the (expletive) you think about that anything wrong could happen throughout life, or whatever the case may be, you never think about your children. just children. You don’t ever think about anything bad happening to your children. You say, ‘I’m protecting the children.’ They’re young and in good health. You know, if something’s going to happen, it’s us, our friends, or it’s… You know, you never think about your (expletive) kids. And if there’s something traumatic When that happens, it’s like, ‘Oh (expletive), things need to be put into perspective.'”

It’s an experience no one would wish on another soul, let alone a parent whose child is going through something that could cost their life.

Bronny James inevitably faced unimaginable obstacles during his freshman season at USC. The Trojans played their first game of the 2023-2024 college basketball season just over three months after James fought for his life.

In turn, James missed eight games during his freshman season, as well as valuable time with his teammates and coaches in practice due to his recovery from a near-death experience.

It’s the fact that is most consistently overlooked when discussing the way James played as a freshman. His defensive intensity remained, but the narrative surrounding his attacking shortcomings routinely ignores the fact that he almost lost his life just before the start of the season.

Instead of judging a former four-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American on how he played less than five months after going into cardiac arrest, he should be applauded for getting back on the field at all.

From LeBron James’ perspective, the fear of almost losing his son is unimaginable. It is something that no parent should have to experience, let alone the person experiencing the horror of the medical condition themselves.

The James family is willing to talk about the experience Starting with 5 is also a tribute to their transparency about an experience that could impact every family in some way.

Fortunately, Bronny James is healthy and preparing for a historic rookie season alongside his father. The duo will be the focus of the news media when they take the court, as Bronny looks to write the first chapter of his NBA career and LeBron continues to rewrite the record books.

After overcoming a devastating traumatic experience, Bronny and LeBron James get a historic opportunity to play as teammates in Los Angeles.