Shareef O’Neal, the son of NBA legendShaquille O’Neal, said he reached out toBronny Jamesafter theUSC Basketball star’s cardiac arrest on Monday.
Speaking toGood Morning Americaon Thursday, O’Neal, 23, said he’s “talked” to James, 18, and sent him a message offering his advice as LeBron James' eldest soncontinues his recovery.
“I just said, any questions you have, you can ask me because I can probably answer them for you,” O’Neal, who underwent open-heart surgery in 2018, said during the segment.
O’Neal, who shares a unique bond with James as the sons of Lakers legends, was diagnosed with an anomalous coronary artery — a congenital heart defect that caused an artery to grow in the wrong place — at age 18.
A spokesperson for the James family confirmed to PEOPLE Tuesday morning that Bronny is now stable and out of the ICU, andon Thursday LeBron tweeted that “everyone doing great.”
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“LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes.”
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He shared that he’s “still trying to” navigate the mental strain post-recovery, but hearing about other young athletes struggling with heart health takes him back to his own experience. “When the whole thing happened withDamar Hamlin, that just brought me back to 2018,” Shareef said, referring tothe Buffalo Bills player’s cardiac arrest during a Jan. 2 NFL game.
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Hamlin, 25,offered his support to Jameson social media after the incident. “Prayers to Bronny & The James family as well,” Hamlin wrote, adding, “here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process.”
source: people.com
