Savannah James smokes Bronny haters with 4-words as son finds his groove

The Los Angeles Lakers rookie has been on a tear lately, and his mom is most certainly keeping receipts.
Feb 7, 2023: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James poses for photos with his sons Bronny and Bryce Maximus, daughter Zhuri, wife Savannah and mother Gloria
Feb 7, 2023: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James poses for photos with his sons Bronny and Bryce Maximus, daughter Zhuri, wife Savannah and mother Gloria / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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LeBron James has been the most public-facing defender for his son Bronny, with all of the fallout and criticism that comes with it. Much of it deserved.

Bronny's mother and LeBron's wife, Savannah, has been more subtle defending the scrutinized Los Angeles Lakers rookie, but it's clear she is always observing and keeping receipts. Top on that list is probably Stephen A. Smith, who she trolled recently after his best game ever with the big club.

RELATED: Lakers' Bronny James gets big-timed by dad LeBron even while not playing

Bronny James
Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The much-maligned 20 year old has also found his footing when he joins the G League South Bay Lakers, and after some struggles early, he dominated in last night's game against the Santa Cruz Warriors with a staff-stuffer's dream: 39 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 4 assists, shooting 67% from the field and 50% from 3-point range.

"Tuh...," LeBron's high school sweetheart starts her Instagram Stories post, which already is full of social media playful sarcasm. "Keep smiling 9!!!"

RELATED: Bronny James, dad LeBron dance giddily to Austin Reeves killer crossover

Savannah James, Bronny James
Savannah James/Instagram

Even if Bronny wasn't LeBron's son, to be a second-round pick at only 20 years old finding his game in the G League would be beyond respectable.

This coming off of the heels of his 17 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds against the Milwaukee Bucks last week with a viral killer crossover against Giannis Antetokounmpo for the injury depleted Lakers without his dad or Luka Doncic. We'll overlook the ugly minus-36.

Bronny never found his footing at USC, so it seemed like nepotism played a part in the Lakers drafting him in the second round with the No. 55 pick and an unusual guaranteed contract. In defense of Bronny, he suffered a cardiac arrest in July 2023, so it was always going to take time for him to get back to an elite level.

Bronny James, LeBron James
Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

As the Lakers make a meaningful push for seeding in the Western Conference into the playoffs, Bronny might mostly be sitting on the pine for games that really matter.

But for this past week, mom can certainly be proud.

Bronny James, Savannah James
Feb 7, 2023: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James poses for photos with his sons Bronny and Bryce, daughter Zhuri, wife Savannah and mother Gloria. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Update: Savannah James added another Instagram Stories post with Bronny doing a postgame interview from the epic G League performance, captioning it, "Say it louder for the people in the back" with a huge clapping hands graphic. Bronny stated in the snippet, "I belong out here. That's all I'm trying to prove."

Savannah James, LeBron James
Savannah James/Instagram

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Matthew Graham
MATTHEW GRAHAM

Matthew Graham has over 20 years of media experience and oversees The Athlete Lifestyle On SI. He has had previous leadership roles at NBC Sports, Yahoo, and USA TODAY, where he co-founded For The Win (named Best Mobile Site by Digiday). He has also written for ESPN, Cosmopolitan, US Weekly, People, E! Online, and FHM, covering major sports and entertainment events like the Oscars, the Golden Globes, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, and winning the Yahoo Superstar Award for coverage of the Olympics.