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FILE – Southern California's Bronny James, 6, plays against Washington during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 in Las Vegas. Run up to the court. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
NBA teams were informed on Monday that Bronny James, son of Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James, has been medically cleared to play in the league and is scheduled to participate in this week's draft combine, sources said. A person familiar with the matter said. Associated Press.
The people, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the league has not released any details, said teams were informed of the permission in a memo sent Monday morning. All players at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago will undergo medical examinations.
ESPN was the first to report the NBA's decision.
Read: Bronny James declares for NBA Draft, enters transfer portal
Bronny ran for 1 minute and 15 seconds without missing a beat, performing motion shooting training, which is a test of his conditioning by shooting when he is tired.Here's what impressed me pic.twitter.com/SD6p95cK07
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) May 14, 2024
The clearing was perhaps expected, considering Bronny James played in Southern California's final 25 games as a freshman last season. He suffered a cardiac arrest during practice in July 2023, requiring a procedure to repair what was diagnosed as a congenital heart defect, and subsequently missed several months while recovering.
The NBA convened a three-physician committee known as the Fitness to Play Committee to review James' medical records to determine whether he should be exempted from playing. They determined he is „medically capable and healthy to play basketball in the NBA,“ which means he can participate in the combine.
Read: Bronny James makes college debut nearly five months after cardiac arrest
James is on the roster for Tuesday's on-court game, but rosters and play plans often change at the combine. All players at the combine are also scheduled to participate in Tuesday's media session.
The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists for USC last season. He has until the end of this month to decide whether to remain in the draft or return to college basketball for at least one more season.
LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer who just completed his 21st season in the league, has said many times in recent years that he would like to play in the league with his son. But when this season ends, the Lakers star, who could become a free agent this summer, said the concept of playing on a team with Bronny James „isn't really something I'm thinking about these days.“
„Kids have to do what they want to do. And I don't want to tell them not to be kids anymore, but young people will decide what they want to do and how they want to proceed with their careers.“ LeBron James said. The Lakers' season ended with a loss to Denver in the playoffs. „I think the very fact that we're having the conversation is such a great thing in that sense. Of course, we'll see what happens.“