Stephen A Smith Says Lakers' LeBron James Should Stop Bronny James From Playing in NBA
![Jan 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Bronny James (9) look on 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 forward LeBron James (23) and guard Bronny James (9) look on during the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2229,h_1253,x_0,y_86/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_lakers/01jjssqdtf58hbka5c5d.jpg)
Ever since he was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 55th pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, fans and pundits have been critical of guard Bronny James.
His most recent NBA outing didn't help when he played 15 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers and didn't make a single basket. Instead, he recorded three total rebounds, one assist, and one block.
#LakeShow pic.twitter.com/hQKm38EANQ
— Bronny (@BronnyJamesJr) January 29, 2025
Naturally, this has prompted the haters to rain down even more criticism on Bronny, including sports pundit Stephen A. Smith.
During an episode of "First Take," Smith made a simple request of Lakers star LeBron James: stop this.
"I'm really, really trying to be as respectful as I can possibly be towards LeBron James," Smith said. "I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father: stop this. Stop this."
"We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad. The first game of the season, opening night, the Griffys in attendance, father-son duo playing in an NBA game for the first time. An absolutely positively wonderful story."
"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 you get better, and you legitimately earn, which I believe he has the potential to do. "
"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
Smith went on to say that he is rooting for Bronny James, but he is being put in the unenviable position of being LeBron James' son, one of the greatest athletes to ever play the game.
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In the end, Smith believes Bronny needs to spend more time in the G League and less time in the NBA proper. And looking at Bronny's stats, you can't disagree.
In 13 NBA games, Bronny has averaged 3.4 minutes played, 0.3 points, 0.4 total rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, Bronny has excelled with the South Bay Lakers in the G League, averaging 26.9 minutes played, 13.4 points, 3.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game across seven games.
Bronny James has the potential to be a great player in the NBA. But thrusting him into the spotlight at this point may be doing him more of a disservice than intended.
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