Stephen A. Smith has long been one of the loudest talking heads in the sports world, and at some point, somebody had to snap from his constant criticisms. Last week, that's exactly what happened when Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James confronted him following their 113-109 overtime win over the New York Knicks at Crypto.com Arena — with James angrily telling off Smith for everything he's had to say regarding the Bronny James situation.
Smith, since then, has talked about the confrontation with the Lakers star at length during his shows. And even on shows where he's simply guesting, he still can't find a way to get off this trendy subject. In an appearance on the Gil's Arena podcast, Smith continued talking about the LeBron/Bronny issue — even outlining his true feelings regarding the situation.
“I thought it was weak. I thought it was bulls**t,” Smith said, via Underdog on X (formerly Twitter). “But in the moment, I knew that I was listening to a father.”
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The famous ESPN pundit made waves and promptly drew the ire of James when, following a bad loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in late January, he “pleaded” for the Lakers star to stop the Bronny experiment and acknowledge that the 20-year-old guard only has a spot on an NBA roster because of his father.
Smith then went as far as to say that James was not doing his son any favors and that Bronny is not ready yet for the big leagues — with this saga simply exposing just how far from NBA-caliber the young guard out of USC actually is.
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This is not the first time that anyone has invoked the nepotism card when it comes to Bronny, but considering the size of Smith's platform and the reach of his criticisms, not to mention the language he used in getting his point across, then there's no wonder that the Lakers star finally had his fill.
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If Bronny James were a productive NBA player from the jump, then talking heads like Stephen A. Smith wouldn't even breach the subject of nepotism when it comes to his spot on a roster. But Bronny has already dealt with plenty of adversity in his brief basketball career, overcoming a cardiac arrest scare en route to being drafted 55th overall by the Lakers.
Sure, Bronny may have secured a four-year deal as a second-rounder due to LeBron James' presence on the Lakers, but he is seen as a long-term project, a guard who can become a legitimate 3-and-D piece down the line. And with the way he's playing in the G-League, the Lakers' hopes could very well be vindicated.