Stephen A. Smith Has A Good Point About Bronny James

Source: YouTube / Youtube

After a video of LeBron James confronting Stephen A. Smith courtside went viral, Smith used his ESPN platform to discuss their encounter, and the normally argumentative television personality handled himself well.

The Los Angeles Lakers hosted the New York Knicks for an overtime thriller on Thursday night, and a clip surfaced of James assertively speaking to Smith before storming away. Audio in the clip was muted, prompting social media users to try their best to read James’ lips. Smith spoke about the topic on his ESPN show First Take on Friday morning, confirming that James had stepped to him to criticize Smith’s coverage of his son, LeBron James Jr., who goes by Bronny. He added that he didn’t plan to address the incident, but that the virality of the clip made it “unavoidable.” 

“That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me. That was a parent; that was a father. I can’t sit here or be angry and feel slighted by LeBron James in any way in that regard,” Smith said. “…Based on some of the comments he had heard, or shall I say, he thought he heard, he clearly took exception to things that he heard me say, and he confronted me about it.”

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Smith used the rest of the segment to say that while he had high hopes for Bronny, who is a rookie, to have a successful career in the NBA, he thought LeBron’s previous comments about his son set him up with unreasonable expectations. The most notable example Smith cited happened while Bronny was still playing in college at USC; his father tweeted that he was already better than some of the players in the NBA. 

“When he talks like that, anything that goes awry that pertains to his son, there’s going to be a microscopic eye even more intensified on Bronny James, because of his dad. That’s when I was talking about, ‘c’mon man, this is the situation you’re putting him in,’” Smith said.

LeBron has an active social media presence, but he hasn’t posted to his accounts since before the game. He and new teammate Luka Dončić eked out a tight victory against the Knicks, adding onto what is now an eight-game winning streak. LeBron earned NBA Player of the Month honors in February, the oldest player to receive the award.

Bronny James was chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers as the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and has since played minimal games alongside his dad. While his NBA statistics have been insignificant, he’s shown more promise with the South Bay Lakers — part of the NBA’s G League, which helps develop players and prepare them for the pros. Smith has said in previous segments that after the historic television moment that showed the father and son playing side by side, that Bronny should be sent to the G League to improve his game.

“I can be a bit more outspoken about [the confrontation],” he continued. “But to be in that moment, to have LeBron look at me the way that he did, and for me to be a father of two daughters. To know what love fathers have for their children, and to hear what he had to say, it was all about his son.”

Stephen A. Smith has had several faulty perspectives recently, especially since he’s begun to lean into politics on The Stephen A. Smith Show, his self-started YouTube series that he hosts when he’s home from his day job. Just earlier this week, he used his platform to defend his support for conservative firebrand and conspiracy theorist Candace Owens, whom he had recently welcomed as a guest on the show. But on this topic with LeBron James, he was surprisingly on point.

Bronny James Jr. was welcomed to the NBA as a result of his father’s accomplishments and contributions, a fact that is already divisive in its own right. Some think that it’s perfectly fine for LeBron to throw his weight around after arguably being underpaid in the NBA; after all, other moguls welcome their progeny into their family businesses all the time. 

Others feel like professional sports are one of the final bastions of meritocracy, and that no one should land a spot if they can’t demonstrate their worth on the court or field of play. But it’s indisputable that when LeBron gassed up his son, he put a target on his back, and he made the expectations for him even higher than they could have already been with the name on the back of his jersey. 

While he’s made some comments that acknowledge that he’s prioritized his own aspirations for his son above all else, he still seems to have some blind spots.

Support for your children is equally natural and delusional, at the same time. You love them unconditionally, and you see the brightest futures possible for them. 

Stephen A. Smith did a commendable job of recognizing that and of balancing that understanding with his sports and media expertise.

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