Speculation is brewing about why NBA superstar LeBron James was in Rochester, Minnesota on Monday.
There are plenty of educated guesses, but the only things confirmed thus far are that he was in the Med City and he dined at Terza Ristorante, a pizza and pasta restaurant located near the numerous Mayo Clinic buildings in downtown Rochester.
The buzz began after a two-second video of a man thought to be James was posted to the “Spotted in Rochester” Facebook group. KTTC has since reported that James ate at Terza.
His presence in Rochester beyond eating some Italian food is unconfirmed, though there is speculation that his 18-year-old son Bronny could be receiving continued care at Mayo Clinic after suffering cardiac arrest on July 24.
TMZ reports that LeBron and Bronny were in Rochester for precisely that reason. Video obtained by TMZ shows a mob of fans yelling for LeBron’s attention and he, Bronny and others get into a black SUV after exiting the back entrance to Terza.
Bronny collapsed on the practice court on the morning of July 24 while working out in preparation for his freshman year at the University of Southern California, where he is a student-athlete and one of the top freshman basketball recruits in the country.
The Athletic received confirmation that Bronny was treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Group in Los Angeles immediately after he went into cardiac arrest.
“Mr James was cared for promptly by highly-trained staff and has been discharged home, where he is resting,” a hospital official told The Athletic. “Although his workup will be ongoing, we are hopeful for his continued progress and are encouraged by his response, resilience, and his family and community support.”
Last week, LeBron issued a brief statement: “Will have more to say when we’re ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us!”
Coincidentally, LeBron’s newest Nike shoe was unveiled on Monday it has ties to Minnesota music icon Prince. The new shoe is dubbed “Purple Rain,” which is an obvious play on Prince’s famous song.
