Stephen A. Smith Sounds off on Bronny James Performance vs Sixers

Longtime analyst wasn't pleased with Bronny James getting minutes vs Sixers.
Jan 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) passes the ball to forward LeBron James (23) during the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jan 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) passes the ball to forward LeBron James (23) during the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

On Tuesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers faced off against both LeBron and Bronny James in their nationally televised matchup against the LA Lakers. Following the rookie guard seeing extended minutes, one analyst sounded off on his performance.

Bronny has made numerous appearances for the Lakers this season, but Tuesday was a little different. Typically, JJ Redick only deploys him in garbage time at the end of games. However, the son of the 20-time All-Star was one of the first players off the bench against the Sixers.

In a little over 15 minutes of action, Bronny ended the night with three rebounds and one assist. He attempted five shots in the 118-104 loss for LA, but didn't get any of them to fall.

While on ESPN's First Take Wednesday, Stephen A. Smith gave his thoughts on Bronny's minutes against the Sixers. He feels it's time for LeBron to stop this experiment of trying to play alongside his son and let him develop in the G-League.

"I am pleading with LeBron James as a father, stop this," Stephen A. said. "We love what we're seeing from him in the G-League, because that's where you belong as you hone your skills and you get better...You know what people are saying, you know what people are going to do to this kid."

On the season, Bronny has logged 44 total minutes at the NBA level across 13 games. In that time, he's scored only four points on 1-for-16 shooting. As one of the final picks of his respective draft class, it's evident the rookie guard isn't ready for the NBA just yet.

As Stephen A. mentioned, Bronny has shown nice flashes in the G-League. With the South Bay Lakers, he is averaging 16.3 PPG and 4.2 APG. Still in the very early stages of his career, he should remain in the G-League to focus on his development outside of massive attention that comes with playing for the Lakers.


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Kevin McCormick
KEVIN MCCORMICK

Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers FanNation's All76ers. Since graduating from Holy Family University with a degree in Sports Management, he's gone on to pursue a career in journalism covering the NBA. Some of his previous bylines include 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, and Sportskeeda.