Stephen A. Smith feels like Bronny James isn’t quite ready for the NBA yet after seeing his performance last night.
The son of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer got the call-up from the G-League just in time for Tuesday’s game, and he clocked in 15 minutes on the court—by far his biggest run yet in his 13 appearances.
But it wasn’t easy out there. He went 0-for-5 shooting and racked up three turnovers. This season, he’s only made one shot out of 16 attempts, giving him a rough 6.3 shooting percentage. Yeah, it’s tough to judge a player on such limited minutes, but he’s definitely not making it any easier on himself.
Since Bronny was picked 55th overall by his dad’s team in the summer, the father-son duo has faced their fair share of criticism, with folks calling out nepotism. After Tuesday’s game, Stephen A. Smith hinted that this vibe is still hanging around, and it’s not doing anyone any favors.
“I’m really, really trying to be as respectful as I possibly can be toward LeBron James, one of the top two or three players in the history of basketball. I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father. Stop this. Stop this. We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad,” Smith said on Wednesday’s edition of “First Take.”
Smith added he has “no issues” with the two playing on the same team, as James has “earned that” privilege. But with all these struggles, LeBron isn’t doing his son any ‘favors,’ ” Smith pointed out.
“We know that he’s not ready yet! And I’m saying this with compassion! I’m asking the greatest player in the game, one of the greatest we have ever, or will ever see, who is a basketball savant, you know what these numbers mean, to your son, you’re exposing your son like this.”
Bronny, who put up less than five points a game during his time at USC, has been thriving in the G League, averaging a solid 16.3 points per game.