Bronny James cardiac arrest: Elon Musk speculates if COVID vaccine played a role in James’s emergency

Billionaire Elon Musk has speculated if the COVID-19 vaccine played a role in the cardiac arrest of Bronny James, the son of basketball star LeBron James.

Bronny James suffered cardiac arrest while he was practicing at the University of Southern California on Monday. Sources with knowledge of the incident told TMZ that James was transported from the USC Galen Center, where the basketball team holds games and practices, to a hospital in the morning.

“We cannot ascribe everything to the vaccine, but, by the same token, we cannot ascribe nothing,” Musk wrote on social media. “Myocarditis is a known side-effect. The only question is whether it is rare or common.”

Musk has expressed skepticism of the COVID-19 vaccine in the past, as he revealed earlier this year he had “major side effects” from his second booster shot of the vaccine and said he felt like he was “dying” for several days. He also stated that his brother had to be hospitalized from “a serious case of myocarditis,” even though his brother was “in peak health.”

Myocarditis is defined as the inflammation of the heart muscle. Cases of myocarditis have rarely occurred to a person after they get vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United States. However, the myocarditis cases that do occur after vaccination happened most frequently in adolescent and young adult men within seven days after they received their second dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Additionally, myocarditis cases have also occurred in individuals after only their first vaccine dose.

James, 18, is said to be in stable condition and no longer in the ICU. He played for Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles and is a highly-favorable NBA prospect, ranking 20th in the 2023 ESPN 100 rankings.