"Raising Awareness: The Risks Black Basketball Players Face After Bronny James' Cardiac Arrest"
The sudden cardiac arrest of Bronny James, son of NBA star LeBron James, has brought attention to the dangers faced by Black basketball players. A 2020 study found that Black male NCAA Division I basketball players had the highest incidence rate of sudden cardiac arrest and death among athletes aged 11 to 29. The study also revealed that nearly half of the cases were caused by cardiomyopathy, a chronic heart disease. The incidents involving Bronny James and Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin highlight the need for immediate access to life-saving care and the importance of implementing measures such as increasing CPR training and providing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in sports facilities. The NOLA Network, founded by a mother who lost her son to sudden cardiac arrest, advocates for health care equity and prevention of sudden cardiac arrest.