Bronny James has become a polarizing figure since the LA Lakers selected him in the late second round of the 2024 Draft. Many are celebrating his first-of-its-kind NBA pairing with his father LeBron James whereas critics are decrying the move for having a nepotistic flavor. Stephen A. Smith, who has defended Bronny since the draft, is clearly siding with the former group.
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On his podcast, Smith passionately talked of Bronny’s debut alongside his father and why it is so special. He urged basketball fans to root for Bronny James because he believes the 19-year-old has a terrific attitude at his age and has gone through a lot already. He further reflected upon the youngster’s incredible recovery from a horrible cardiac arrest ordeal last year that shook the NBA community.
He believes the mere fact that Bronny James made it to the NBA despite undergoing such a terrible episode should be enough reason to support him. Stephen A. Smith said,
“Anybody with a heart, anybody with a core decency about themselves should be rooting for Bronny James. By all accounts, he is a tremendously good kid. By the way, had that heart ailment. Had to be hospitalized, his first year at USC, before the semester and the season even started. Life was in danger, his life was saved by folks at USC, ultimately recovered and ended up back on the basketball court, all beautiful beautiful story.”
SAS admitted that Bronny James may be getting favorable treatment over many fellow rookies, but at the same time, he believes that he can only sustain an NBA career through hard work so the real grind has just begun.
The 56-year-old is defending Bronny James because of emotional reasons rather than analytical reasons considering that he is still not ready to play regular NBA minutes.
While SAS believes in long-term growth, critics have pointed out that allotting minutes to someone who is not ready for the NBA action is an insult to those who undoubtedly deserve them. This point is valid because there are many NBA athletes who are desperate to get even a couple of minutes on the NBA floor.
The Bronny-LeBron moment was downplayed by many
During the Lakers’ season opener, Bronny James and LeBron James entered the game together with 4 minutes left in the second quarter. The 19-year-old received three minutes and could only manage a rebound in that playing time. However, that didn’t stop Lakers fans from cheering their heart out to celebrate history.
On the other hand, some analysts were fed up with the whole Bronny James-LeBron James saga. Former ESPN reporter Michelle Beadle took to her Run It Back pod and blasted the Lakers organization for producing a “manufactured” moment. She didn’t hold her punches and said,
“If this isn’t manufactured, then I don’t know what the word manufactured means. But, again, I am not impressed and I thought this was so ridiculous“
Many NBA fans are also upset after consuming the nonstop coverage around the historic pairing. While some criticism is warranted considering the vast space the whole narrative has taken, it is undoubtedly an event that many basketball fans thought they’d never see in the NBA.
The storyline would only bolster the NBA’s marketing strategies but if Bronny James fails to leave an imprint in the league, it may also backfire in the long run for all the parties involved.
