LeBron James pleaded by another father to stop hampering son Bronny James’ NBA career
Bronny James checked into the Los Angeles Lakers game against the Philadelphia 76ers with his father LeBron James on the bench.
Follow Us
Stephen A. Smith wants LeBron James to stop putting son Bronny in embarrassing situations
After LeBron James and son Bronny started off this NBA season with a father-son duo moment, the young James has spent a lot of time in the G-League. However, he has often been called upon to play garbage minutes in NBA games as well.
In most of those games, he manages anywhere between 3-5 minutes and attempts one shot at the most. However, head coach JJ Redick brought him along for their road game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He even inserted the rookie into the game when the Lakers were up by a decent margin in the first quarter.
The team went on to dramatically lose the game and Bronny James clocked fifteen minutes and ended with a stat line of 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block. Embarrassingly, those zero points came off five field goal attempts, three of which were threes. Watching this unfold Stephen A. Smith said this.
I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father. Stop this.
Stephen A. Smith said
The ESPN analyst mentioned that the father-son duo checking in for the first time to set history was a remarkable event. Since then, reality has set in that James Jr. is not ready for the big league. He feels LeBron James should not have allowed his son to be embarrassed on national television in this manner.
"I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father. Stop this." 😳 @stephenasmith reacts to Bronny James' play in the Lakers 118-104 loss to the 76ers. pic.twitter.com/bk5D0DS42N
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 29, 2025
Stephen A. Smith believes the James family and the Los Angeles Lakers are giving fodder to those who are waiting to criticize the 20-year-old. Smith has defended calls of nepotism before, but if Bronny James continues to play this way, those conversations will only keep growing.
Stephen A. Smith wants Bronny James to develop in the G-League
Stephen A. Smith has no ill feelings towards what LeBron James is trying to do for his son. However, he feels that Bronny James needs time to develop. For that purpose, staying put in the G-League is the only way forward.
The 57-year-old analyst has previously suggested that it is a long grind for the former USC star. He and others want James Jr. to develop into an NBA caliber player and then return to play alongside his father. Now, trying to force into scoring is putting immense pressure on his shoulders.
That pressure is showing its ugly side as while he is unable to score one basket in five attempts, the 20-year-old is lighting up the G-League. It is not that the pressure to perform is not there. However, it is far lesser than what is in the NBA. Add his father into the mix and the pressure could continue to undermine him.
Stay Updated!
Joseph Varghese
(2377 Articles Published)