Fear Becomes a Reality : College basketball: Former Lynwood star Earnest Killum, now a guard for Oregon State, has mild stroke after discussing risks he faces.

Guard Earnest Killum of Oregon State, who received medical clearance to resume playing last month after suffering a mild stroke in July, was hospitalized Friday after he was found semiconscious in a hot tub at the team’s hotel near Los Angeles International Airport.

Ironically, Killum gave an interview to a Times sportswriter Friday morning during which he talked about his medical condition and the risks he took. He went downstairs to the hotel hot tub before leaving for practice. But when he failed to board the team bus for a noon workout at UCLA, trainer Sandy Sandago went looking for him.

Sandago found Killum semiconscious with one leg in the hot tub. He was taken by ambulance to Daniel Freeman Hospital in Inglewood, where he underwent tests. A hospital spokesman said Killum was listed in fair condition. He will remain at Daniel Freeman for an undetermined time and undergo further evaluation and treatment.

“It appears to be a similar episode to the one last July,” said Richard Cronk, the team physician who accompanied the team to Los Angeles.

“They (doctors and school officials) thought they had a good handle on it,” said Steve Fink, Oregon State’s sports information director. “Now they are back to square one. It’s scary. They just don’t know anything yet.”

Before he passed out, Killum discussed the late Hank Gathers, who suffered a fatal heart attack while playing basketball at Loyola Marymount in 1990, and said he didn’t believe that he was risking his life by playing basketball.

“I don’t feel like I’m taking a chance playing basketball,” Killum said. “I’m not worried about nothing happening to me at all. I’m young. I’m not trying to be sarcastic or anything. That’s just the way I feel.”

In a recent interview with the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Killum said: “Dying? It doesn’t faze me. Anything could happen to me at any time.”

Killum, 20, had suffered a mild stroke while playing in a pickup game near his home in Lynwood on July 19.

“I went up for a rebound and when I came down part of my face was numb and my left arm was numb and my left hand was numb, but I wasn’t dizzy,” Killum said.

Killum left the gym and sat on the grass for 10 minutes.

“One of my friends came out and asked me how I was and my speech got slurry and I couldn’t say anything. He finally took me home.”

Killum went to a hospital, where doctors thought he was suffering from dehydration. They sent him home.

He went with his mother to watch his brother play in a summer league game. But when his speech became slurred again and his left hand got numb, his mother drove him back to the hospital, where tests determined that he had suffered a mild stroke.

Blood clots were also found, including one in the main artery leading to his brain. Killum underwent surgery and doctors removed a blood clot from his left arm. He was placed on a blood thinning medication called Coumadin.

After spending a week in the hospital, Killum was released. However, doctors forbade him from playing basketball because they feared a severe blow could cause internal bleeding.

Killum, who sat out his freshman season at Oregon State because he was academically ineligible, was determined to resume his career this season.

“It happened for a reason,” he said. “I don’t know why it happened, but God was probably telling me something. He was probably telling me that there’s more (to life) than just playing basketball. There was nothing I could do about it except pray.”

Even though doctors told him not to play basketball, Killum began playing in pickup games several weeks after he left the hospital.

“The doctors said they didn’t think I was going to be able to play basketball,” Killum said. “But I was still playing pickup games because that’s what I wanted to do. Doctors don’t know everything.

“I was feeling perfectly fine. I hadn’t had any symptoms. I got frustrated because I didn’t understand the doctors.”

When Killum returned to school in the fall, Oregon State team doctors wouldn’t clear him to play. The school faced a legal dilemma in light of the Gathers tragedy. If the school allowed Killum to play and he was injured, it feared his family might file a law suit. However, they also feared that Killum might sue to play under the Federal Rehabilitation Act, which prevents discrimination because of physical handicaps.

But, on Dec. 26, doctors decided to reduce the amount of medication enough to allow him to play.

“He will likely always be at some risk,” Oregon State team doctor Richard Cronk told the Portland Oregonian. “But the experts have determined that the risk is in an acceptable range.”

Killum made his debut against La Salle in the Far West Tournament at Portland on Dec. 27, scoring 11 points in 12 minutes.

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound sophomore played in six games before Thursday night’s game against USC, averaging eight points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists and 12.5 minutes. He played 16 minutes in a 90-73 loss to USC, scoring 13 points. Killum also held USC guard Harold Miner to seven points during the second half after he had scored 30 during the first. Before Friday, Killum was scheduled to play against UCLA today.

Killum, who didn’t play for 15 months, has been brought along slowly. He didn’t believe he was in good basketball condition.

Killum signed with Oregon State in 1990 after being votedthe Southern Section 5-A Player of the Year. He averaged 29.7 points, nine rebounds and five assists at Lynwood High.

A prep All-American, Killum and UCLA guard Ed O’Bannon were rated the top high school basketball prospects in the Southland. Killum was MVP of the California prep all-star game and played in the McDonald’s All-Star game.

Killum sat out last season after failing to qualify academically. He concentrated on his education and said he now has a 3.5 grade-point average.

“School was never a big deal to me in high school,” Killum said. “I was going to class, but I wasn’t paying attention to the teacher. It was just a matter of me getting my attitude together toward education.

“Last year was a rough. There were times when I wanted to give up, but my faith in God kept pushing me to be a better student-athlete.”

Killum regained his eligibility and was cleared to play. He improved his skills and was looking forward to this weekend because he would be playing for his family and friends against USC and UCLA.

His homecoming started when Lynwood High retired his jersey before a game Wednesday night. It was the first jersey retired by the school.

Now, Killum faces a decision by which he, too, might have to retire from basketball.

Times staff writer Elliott Almond contributed to this story.