Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty
Netflix’s reality show Starting 5 features LeBron and Savannah James discussing Bronny’s cardiac arrest for the first time and his road to recovery.
After the success of Quarterback, and Receiver, Netflix has finally tackled the NBA with Starting 5. On the show, we watch emotional moments like Jimmy Butler breaking the third wall mid-season after the passing of his father.
Jimmy goes from being focused on securing an NBA championship to flat-out revealing it just doesn’t matter because the grief overrode everything.
Another surprising moment came in the form of LeBron and Savannah James discussing Bronny’s cardiac arrest for the first time.
Last July, Bronny suffered cardiac arrest during workouts at USC and was rushed to Cedars Sani Hospital. A congenital heart defect likely caused Bronny James’ medical episode and he quickly had surgery to fix the issue before hitting the court for USC.
During the Netflix series, LeBron and Savannah James emotionally revealed that they “almost lost Bronny.”
“I think at the end of the day, it was just about us supporting each other and just being super grateful for the outcome,” a tearful Savannah said.”Shout out to the man above,” LeBron said.”And to the whole coaching staff, training staff, members of that program,” LeBron continued, calling USC staffer Erin a “lifesaver, literally.”
We also learn LeBron cautioned Bronny about returning to basketball play despite Bronny being cleared for his medical return to sports on November 30, only four months later.
“It’s crazy with kids, when they love something and they want something, that’s all that matters to them,” LeBron explained in the show. “As a parent, you’re like, ‘You had a cardiac arrest, like…,’ and in his mind he’s like, ‘Can I or can I not play ball again and if the answer is yes, when can I play ball again? Like, I love that.’” The leading NBA scorer continued. “Bronny’s the first person in the family to go to college. Nobody in my family ever went to college and to see my son playing the game he loves at the collegiate level but to see where he is as a young man is, like, ‘Wow, it could have been so much more worse for our family.’”
We all know how the story ends, Bronny is now a Los Angeles Laker alongside his pops becoming the first father-son duo in the NBA. For this to happen, Bronny had to put in the work off the court and away from cameras. Luckily it paid off.
You can watch Bron and Savannah discussing the traumatic event below.