STEPHEN A. Smith has had some harsh words for LeBron James after the Los Angeles Lakers forward’s social media outburst regarding his son Bronny.
The NBA star lashed out at the media coverage of his eldest son’s draft prospects as ESPN listed the University of Southern California guard as a potential 2025 second-round pick on Monday.
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Stephen A. Smith has blamed LeBron James for the attention his son Bronny has been dealing withCredit: ESPN
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Smith made the remarks in a comment to LeBron’s now-deleted social media post in which he slammed the media coverage of Bronny’s draft prospectsCredit: Getty
ESPN included Bronny, 19, as part of the Class of 2025 after projecting he would go undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft.
LeBron, 39, went on a rant after the outlet’s updated mock drafts came out.
“Can y’all please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball?” he wrote on X.
“The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do.
“If y’all don’t know he doesn’t care what a mock draft says, he just WORKS! Earned not given.”
Although LeBron quickly deleted the post, it inevitably elicited all sorts of reactions on social media as well as among NBA analysts.
First Take devoted an entire segment to the Lakers star’s comments on Tuesday – and Smith, 56, didn’t hold back.
“This is all [LeBron’s] fault. All of it,” the sportscaster said.
Smith heaped praise on LeBron for being an “incredible” role model and lauded the entire James family, calling it possibly as “impeccable” as the Obamas.
However, the sportscaster said the tremendous scrutiny Bronny has been dealing with is on his father considering the USC freshman hasn’t yet accomplished anything notable in his basketball career.
Those included suggestions LeBron could come in a package deal to any team willing to draft Bronny, the First Take analyst pointed out.
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“That kid has done nothing,” Smith said.
“The kid has done nothing but work hard, trying to get on his game and all of this other stuff.
“Any attention that he’s warranted has been because of his daddy.”
Stephen A. highlighted the irony of LeBron asking the media to leave his son alone in the now-deleted tweet.
“You did that,” he told the 20-time NBA All-Star.
“LeBron is entirely and completely culpable for any kind of critique coming in Bronny’s direction at this junction.
“And it’s not wrong, I’m not saying it’s a crime.
“I’m just saying: Own it. It’s you, it’s not the media.”
Bronny is averaging 5.5 points, 2.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks for USC, shooting 37.1% from the field and 27.5% for 3.
The 6-foot-4 guard’s college basketball debut was delayed due to the cardiac arrest he suffered last summer.
