“Built to be politician” – Stephen A. Smith’s ‘complete 180’ on Bronny James after clash with LeBron James has fans fuming 

Lakers rookie Bronny James’ 17-point performance against the Bucks on Thursday forced Stephen A. Smith to rethink his stance on him.

“Built to be politician” – Stephen A. Smith’s ‘complete 180’ on Bronny James after clash with LeBron James has fans fuming 

Stephen A. Smith, LeBron James and Bronny James

Since the season began, Bronny James has faced relentless criticism from the NBA world after stepping onto the court as a Los Angeles Laker. One of his most vocal critics has been Stephen A. Smith. However, on Thursday, with several key players absent, Bronny seized his opportunity against the Milwaukee Bucks—and he delivered.

In the Lakers’ defeat to the Bucks, the 20-year-old rookie scored 17 points and dished out five assists while shooting 7 of 10 from the floor. As close to breaking into the major leagues as possible, there is now proof to that concept. Given that, Smith, who has always criticized James Jr. suddenly seems to have changed his tune.

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My position was all along, Bronny James needed to be in the G League… and then after that let him come on because I’ve always believed that this kid has the potential, once I watched him, to be in the NBA.

Stephen A. Smith said on the First Take show

After coming across Smith’s recent remarks regarding Bronny James, many NBA fans were having none of it. They did not waste any time to troll Smith and remind him of his words against Bronny in the past. Just a few weeks back, LeBron James had a face-to-face confrontation with Smith during a Lakers match courtside.

Some fans are also claiming that James Sr.’s confrontation with Smith led to his change in stance regarding the Lakers rookie. Nevertheless, fans are not sold on Smith’s recent remarks and made it known to him on social media.

Fans troll Stephen A. Smith for sudden change in stance over Bronny James

Nobody would have expected Stephen A. Smith to talk well about Bronny James just weeks after having a tussle with his father regarding his NBA career. In addition, he has also changed his mind about the Lakers rookie and acknowledged that his previous assessment was incorrect. Fans were left furious with this and are giving him stick via their socials.

Many fans took to various social media apps to put forward their views and thoughts regarding Smith’s recent Bronny James remarks. One fan wrote on X, “This man truly is built to be a politician.”

Some fans were also amazed by Smith’s sudden change in stance, as if nothing happened before all of this. Check out some of the fan reactions below:

The Lakers arrived at the Crypto field without their starting lineup after suffering serious injuries before their matchup with the Bucks. As a result, the emphasis switched to the reserves to take the stage and demonstrate their abilities. Even though the Lakers fell by a significant amount, players like Bronny James and Dalton Knecht gave the fierce Bucks some resistance.

Stephen A. Smith admits he was ‘wrong’ about Bronny James

Stephen A. Smith was yet to acknowledge that he was mistaken regarding Bronny James. However, the ESPN personality did set the stage for this statement on First Take the morning following the Lakers player Bronny James’ best NBA performance.

I was impressed, OK. This is the big picture here that I want to bring up: I might’ve been wrong. Are you listening, LeBron James? Are you listening, James family? Are you listening, Rich Paul? Are you listening, all you people?

Stephen A. Smith said

Many game experts were shut out by Bronny’s performance, and when he finally showed off his skills on the court, he received praise from all quarters. Smith probably had to do a lot to acknowledge his mistake. Smith typically doesn’t change his mind on issues, but on this one albeit not completely, he had to.