Damar Hamlin has sent out a message of support to the family of LeBron James, after his son Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest during a basketball workout.
James was taken to hospital from his session at the University of Southern California (USC), where he has since been released from intensive care and is in a reportedly stable condition.
Buffalo Bills safety Hamlin suffered a similar incident in January when he suffered a cardiac arrest following a tackle in an NFL match against the Cincinnati Bengals. On that occasion he needed CPR on the field and was hospitalised for over a week before his release, while support was shown to him and his family from all sides of any sporting divides including from fans and fellow athletes.
Now Hamlin has turned to the supporting role to offer strength to the James family, as they deal with Bronny’s scare.
“Prayers to Bronny [and] The James family as well,” he sent on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. “Here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process.”
Following up a response to his initial post, Hamlin added he had been “on that mission” to ensure defibrillators were available at every practice session at schools throughout the country.
Hamlin was cleared to resume sporting duties in April and has stated his intention to return to the field.
For 18-year-old James, being confirmed in a stable condition will be the first step towards his own recovery.
LeBron James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer earlier this year, when he overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s tally of 38,387 career points.
Bronny is set to star for USC Trojans next year, with an expectation he could be drafted into the NBA in future - with father LeBron having expressed his desire to appear on the same court together, be it on the same team or as opponents. Bronny’s younger brother Bryce, 16, is also touted as a potential future NBA prospect.
