Stephen A. Smith has seemingly had enough of Bronny James playing in the NBA and has urged LeBron James to apparently stop pushing his son for something for which he is not ready. Lebron and Bronny made history in October by becoming the first father-son duo to play alongside each other in the NBA. However, the excitement of witnessing the league's greatest-ever player (arguably) and his son balling together did not age well as junior James has so far not been able to prove his mettle at the biggest stage.
Famed broadcaster Stephen A. Smith paid heed to the performance of Bronny James in the Lakers' 104-118 defeat against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday and did not refrain from making a hard judgment. He pleaded with LeBron to "stop this" and bluntly spoke that the only reason Bronny is playing in the NBA is because of his "dad."
"I am pleading with LeBron James as a father, stop this, stop this,' Smith said on ESPN's First Take Wednesday. 'We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad."
Smith acknowledged that the father-son duo playing together in the league for the same team makes up a wonderful story but it does not hide the bigger picture.
"And then reality sets in. We love what we're seeing from him in the G League - because that's where you belong, as you hone your skills and get better, and you legitimately earn, which I believe he has to the potential to do.
Smith further said that he desires to see Bronny succeed and praised the character the "wonderful kid" carries and also threw the reality which is that he is LeBron James' son and with the world in knowledge of the fact there will come a burden of expectations.
"I am rooting for Bronny James. It would be cruel to root against him. He's a wonderful kid, I wish him nothing but the best. But he's LeBron James' son, and everybody knows what attention that brings."
Addressing the wholesome sequence after the game, Hachimura said, “You guys have no idea how much Bron care about Bronny you know… I have been working out with him you know two years, three years whatever in the summer when Bronny was struggling with his physical you know. I was with him. I was actually with them and just being around how much Bron was trying to take care of him and how much he cares about him.”
Tonight's Wizards game was the rookie's redemption, as his spectacular move even got the opposing team's audience to stand.
Additionally, it allowed Rui Hachimura, LBJ's "brother," to describe Bronny's hardships and how he overcame them, “I knew he wanted that so bad. As soon as he scored, he was trying to hold it little bit, so that’s why I was like ‘Come on bro.’ He’s my big brother, so of course I was happy about it. Yeah, it was a great moment for sure.”