“That Man Had A Heart Attack!?”: Bronny James’ Skills & ‘Crazy’ Athleticism at Draft Combine Impresses NBA World

Amid all the doubts and criticism after entering his name in this year’s NBA draft, it was finally time for Bronny James to showcase his skills and prove the critics wrong. Despite not being projected as a high lottery pick, and ESPN even predicting that he would go undrafted, LeBron James’ older son was cleared to participate in the Draft Combine on Monday in the city of Chicago. And, the USC star did not waste any time messing around and got straight to business by smashing every challenge put in front of him, showcasing his NBA traits.

Initially leaving the fans in shock after measuring a little over 6’1 without shoes rather than his listed 6’4, Bronny aced every drill at the Combine. And when Overtime posted the video of him crushing the lane agility drill, fans couldn’t believe he was the same guy who suffered a cardiac arrest less than a year ago, with one writing, “That man had a heart attack and nobody talks about it.”

In late July last year, the college freshman suddenly collapsed during a practice session at USC’s facility and was rushed to the Cedars-Cenai Medical Center, where he was put under observation and received treatment. Later, he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, which likely caused the incident. But in such a short span, Bronny James has recovered brilliantly and was even cleared by the league’s Fitness to Play panel ahead of Monday’s combine. Watching him move like a gazelle on the court, one fan wrote, “lol bro moving fast at hell.” Enthusiasts of the sport also claimed that even though Bronny did not have a great freshman year, he would get drafted in the NBA because of his shooting and defensive abilities, “he def getting drafted it’s always a spot for a defender/shooter.” Today, he drastically improved from the 36.6% FG he recorded with the USC.

After witnessing Bronny’s performance at the Combine, an individual even compared him to his legendary father with one exception. “Bro is built just like Bron but without the height.” Meanwhile, after jaw-dropping many with his vertical jump, another fan broke down why Bronny is fit for the NBA, “You don’t draft a player because of college stats, you draft a player because they have NBA traits. He’s an NBA defender and passer the second he steps on the court.”

Bronny James cracks open his ‘potential shell’ after a stunning vertical jump and 3-point shooting!

Besides taking over the lane agility drill with his quickness, Bronny also showed that he can shoot the rock like nobody’s business while jumping out of the building if needed. And following in his father’s footsteps, who might arguably be the most athletic player in league history, the 19-year-old recorded a 40.5-inch max vertical to secure the fourth-highest jump among all competition. On top of that, his standing vertical measured at an impressive thirty-two inches. In comparison, Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard had the highest vertical of the night, going up a whopping forty-two inches in the air!

Not only that, Bronny impressed the scouts even more after he drilled nineteen of his twenty-five shots from beyond the arc in the movement three-point shooting drill, displaying his high endurance and ability to shoot when tired. And that showing was enough to place him 2ND among a pool of seventy-eight competitors. Even more impressive was that the USC star went over a minute without missing a single shot.

Although Bronny James might not have the best numbers in his brief college career, his Combine stats showed that he is a great shooter with insane athleticism and high endurance. And many teams can use a player like him who can at least become a great three and D guy.

How do you think Bronny’s Combine performance will affect his draft projection?