LeBron James doesn’t often go out of his way to approach NBA media members, but he made an exception this week for renowned ESPN journalist Stephen A. Smith. After his courtside chat with Mr. Smith went viral, fans were shocked to discover that James had walked out of his team’s mid-game huddle just to seek out the ESPN reporter.
LeBron excused himself from the team huddle before the 4th quarter to confront Stephen A. Smith about Bronny 😳
(via @legendz_nba)
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) March 7, 2025
The whole controversy began when Stephen A. went in on James back in January. He called on LeBron to end his son’s career and pleaded with him as a “father” to shut down the whole experiment. James didn’t take kindly to it and made sure to let Stephen A. know about it.
Later, on his podcast, Stephen A. Smith expounded on the encounter and explained details of what exactly was said by the Laker superstar.
“He approached me during the game and he said ‘Stop f**king with my son. That’s my f**king son, that’s my f**king son. And I said ‘We can talk about it later’ and he said ‘Nah, f**k that, stop messing with my son,” said Smith. “That’s my son.’ I said ‘Alright though’ and he walked away. That’s all he said and I knew what he was talking about. I’ve spoken about this before and I’ve heard that a few players were upset about me about that. One player was Draymond Green, who I haven’t spoken to since. He has no desire to speak to me primarily because of this, I suppose.”
On X, fans were confused about how to feel. While LeBron has every right to defend his son, Bronny is no longer a kid and it seems strange that James has to come to his defense like this when he should have a voice of his own.
“Two things can be true, LeBron has every right to defend his son as a father but he must remember Bronny is grown now and Draymond this is a weak move, if true, on your part,” wrote one fan on X.
It sounds like Stephen A. tried to have a conversation with James but the Lakers star wasn’t having it. At a glance, it seems like nobody is allowed to criticize Bronny despite having a spot on the biggest brand in basketball.
“So sensitive man, if you can’t handle criticism then you shouldn’t play sports,” wrote one fan on LeBron’s viral encounter.
We all know that Bronny’s connection to the King is the whole reason why he’s in the NBA. James has worked for over 20 years to make it possible and he’s doing whatever it takes to protect his son’s image at all costs.
“Bronny is a big boy in the NBA now. LeBron should back down. No special treatment should be given! If Bronny wasn’t the son of LeBron he would’ve playing in the NBA. FACTS!”
Regarding the situation with Draymond Green, everyone agrees that it’s strange for him to cut off Stephen A. Smith on something that has nothing to do with him. Dray has always been a LeBron supporter but now he’s taking his loyalty to new heights.
“Draymond is funny for this,” one fan posted on X. “Why he now avoiding Stephen A and acting like he’s the mother of Bronny James?”
Kevin Love directly quoted Stephen A. with a reply that went viral in defense of his former teammate.
“You have no choice? lol
Because it went viral? lol
You didn’t want to have to? lol
You wouldn’t have? lol”
There is no doubt that Bronny has worked hard to get where he is, but it’s also true that LeBron is the one who paved his way to the Lakers (55th overall pick in 2024). So far, with averages of 1.4 points, 0.4 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game on 25.8% shooting, Bronny’s NBA campaign has been pretty rough and it’s led to some critics (like Stephen A. Smith) condemning LeBron for even putting his son in this position.
At 20 years old, Bronny has more than enough time to have a successful NBA career, but it won’t get any easier if he and his father refuse to allow any honest review or rebuke from the NBA media.
In the end, you can’t blame LeBron James for standing up for his kid, but fans are dying to know what makes Bronny immune from criticism when he actively chose the NBA life. The truth is, James Jr. is taking up a roster spot on the Lakers and he’s set to be paid $7.8 million over the next four years. It makes sense that he’s under more pressure than most second-round picks.
As much as LeBron might not like to hear it, he can’t force people to stop mentioning Bronny simply because he asked. Until he’s out of the league or proves he belongs, Bronny’s career will be a subject of conversation for years to come.
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