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“Never Talked About Bronny James”: Stephen A Smith Concerned For LeBron James’ son Following ESPN’s Mock Draft

Adit Pujari
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"Never Talked About Bronny James": Stephen A Smith Concerned For LeBron James' son Following ESPN's Mock Draft

Bronny James has become a staple for the NBA media. Being LeBron James’ son definitely helped raise his value as a personality, however, Bronny has been attempting to craft his own identity. After all, it can’t be easy to always be compared to your father. Add the pressure created because of Bron’s wish to play with him, and Bronny is likely under an immense amount of stress to take the right decisions.

With major decisions brewing in the James family, Bronny’s future at this point in time remains uncertain. There are multiple avenues he could pursue. But ESPN’s mock draft has only made the possible outcomes even more complicated.

With major media houses and analysts frequently discussing these possibilities, there is one analyst who has set himself apart from the others. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who is usually an outspoken analyst, has come out and claimed that he does not like talking about Bronny.

Also read: “LeBron James CAN CLOSE GAMES!?”: Skip Bayless Calls Out Lakers Star to Blow Past Stephen Curry & Andrew Wiggins-less Warriors

Stephen A. Smith concerned for Bronny James

Smith is a cutthroat analyst who rarely shies away from speaking his mind. And while certain times he definitely pushes boundaries, Smith is one of the better analysts. He has further established his focus on understanding the impact of such severe scrutiny by choosing not to discuss Bronny James.

Stephen A., in a recent episode of First Take, claimed that he always avoids talking about Bron’s son. He quoted the stress of such a major decision and LeBron’s declaration to play alongside his son as his reasons to stay away from the high schooler.

Smith: “I’ve never talked about Bronny James and it’s because of his father. I think that it is unfair to bring that kind of scrutiny on the kid and I’m very very protective of him in that regard. Obviously, his name is going to continue to elevate in the mind’s eye and I think that LeBron James is the cause of that because he’s made it very very clear that his goal is to stay in the NBA until his son arrives.”

ESPN predicts Bronny as the 10th Overall Pick

ESPN recently released their mock draft for the 2024 NBA draft. Surprisingly, it showed Bronny James as the 10th pick. A lot of fans and analysts were surprised by this but ESPN’s logic behind the mock draft is certainly rational.

Bronny, in the past year, has become an exceptional player. He is one of the best perimeter defenders in his draft class. His explosive athleticism and intelligent style of play at Sierra Canyon have made him a potential tenth pick for ESPN. That being said, this is certainly not the last and final list. There is still an entire year left before Bronny becomes eligible. The list could change drastically and Bronny could fall or rise as a prospect.

Also read: “Stephen Curry has Now Replaced LeBron James”: Skip Bayless Blames Lakers Superstar Over Lowest All-Star Game Ratings in History

About the author

Adit Pujari

Adit Pujari

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Adit Pujari is an NBA Journalist and Strategist at The SportsRush. He formerly worked as a debate and writing trainer. An avid fan of Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, Adit began following the league in 2007. With the Lakers and Boston Celtics rivalry ripe, he found himself hooked to the sport immediately. After 15 years of religiously following the league, he decided to use his knowledge base as a sports writer in 2021. Since then, he has worked as an NBA writer, led a team of MLB writers, and has now joined The SportsRush. In his spare time, Adit loves playing pickup games and exploring hidden Himalayan trails.

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