LeBron James’ confrontation with Stephen A. Smith sparked a lot of debate and speculation. Many are wondering what prompted James to get so heated. The King reportedly told Smith to keep his son out of it, perhaps referencing the recent comments that the ESPN analyst made about Bronny on First Take.
This makes what Nick Wright said a few days ago on his show a lot more poignant, as the Fox Sports analyst claimed that LeBron was upset that Smith used B-roll footage of Bronny James playing poorly against the Philadelphia 76ers while addressing LeBron James.
“When Stephen A. brought that up on his podcast, you know what video played alongside it? What we call B-roll highlights? It was Bronny’s bad minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers. That’s true. Go look. I don’t think that is Stephen A.’s call, but it doesn’t exactly dispel the narrative that ‘Well, yeah, there might be a little unfairness here.'”
If Nick Wright is referencing the segment Stephen A. did with Chris Russo on First Take, then he does have some plausible deniability. While Smith is a very powerful individual at ESPN, he is not in the production room for the live broadcast, and as such, he doesn’t get a say on what b-roll footage is playing while he is on the air.
However, on his own podcast, which is aired live, he has a lot more control over what is being shown, especially considering he presumably has a monitor in front of him while speaking with a live feed of what is being shown to the viewing audience.
James is a proud husband and father who doesn’t take any disrespect aimed at his family or his relationship with them. He has usually stayed quiet when members of the media critique his performance, his role, or his legacy in the NBA. But when it comes to his family, James is a proud papa bear who gets furious when anyone presents any negativity toward them.
LeBron has every right to get upset at the comments Smith made about his son. As a father, James has tried to set a good example for his children and make sure that they have access to any and all opportunities that they might want in their lives. LeBron even said recently that Bronny is in the NBA to pursue a dream, as he has no financial burden that requires him to play in the league.
Given what Bronny has gone through over the last few years, including the life-threatening cardiac arrest he suffered in 2023, James’ reaction to undue criticism of his son is very understandable. Smith, along with several prominent members of the NBA media, used Bronny as a bit of a punching bag during the offseason to try and generate clicks and views on their content.
While criticism of his level of play is fine, several analysts have somehow made Bronny’s NBA career some kind of symbol for LeBron’s enduring legacy in the NBA, which is beyond reprehensible.
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