Stephen A. Smith Says He ‘Might Have Been Wrong’ About Bronny James After Lakers Game Performance

Bronny James just gave the world something to talk about—and Stephen A. Smith took notice. After dropping 17 points and 5 assists in a heated matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, even though the Lakers came up short, the 20-year-old had a breakthrough moment that got everybody talking—including one of his loudest critics.

Just a few months ago, Smith wasn’t too sure about Bronny’s place in the league. But after that performance? He had to double back on his stance. On ESPN’s First Take, the veteran sports commentator said it loud and clear: Stephen A. Smith says he “might have been wrong” about Bronny James.

Stephen A. Smith Gives Bronny His Flowers—Finally

During the segment, Smith didn’t hold back when he spoke on Bronny’s confidence and growth on the court:

“I was very impressed, because I saw an elevation in his level of confidence and poise. It didn’t really phase him, he didn’t look as nervous as he had looked in previous appearances on the basketball court. He looked like someone that belonged.”
That’s a whole 180 from where Smith stood just a couple months ago. Back in January, he was pushing hard for Bronny to stay in the G League for his rookie year. But now? He’s rethinking everything.

“This is the big picture here that I want to bring up: I might’ve been wrong. … My position was all along, Bronny James needed to be in the G League. Let him be in the G League for his first year, and then after that, let him come on, because I’ve always believed that this kid has the potential, once I watched him, to be in the NBA. But what I saw last night made me say to myself, ‘Wait a minute.'”

LeBron James and Stephen A. Clash Over Bronny’s Journey

Let’s not forget, this comes after a heated courtside moment where LeBron James checked Smith for allegedly being too critical of his son. That moment went viral, and the tension carried into the studio. First Take co-host Molly Qerim even brought it up again while discussing Bronny’s performance.

Smith stood on his ten toes, though. He doubled down on what he said, emphasizing that he never disrespected Bronny—he just didn’t think the timing was right for him to be on an NBA court full-time.

“The reason why I want to emphasize that point, Molly, is that when I was approached by pops at courtside and all of this other stuff … I will contend ’til the cows come home, I was never disrespecting Bronny James. … This notion that I was disrespecting his son, it’s a lie. It is false. We have numerous tapes that show I did not do that.”

“But I did believe that he belonged in the G League to get himself honed for the NBA level. What may be wrong about that is that evidently being around JJ Redick and that staff and being around Pops and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers, combined with the G League—going back and forth—may be doing wonders for him sooner than we anticipated, because I liked what we saw last night.”

Bronny’s Hybrid Development Plan Might Be the Key

Smith is now admitting that this hybrid route—splitting time between the G League and Lakers bench—could be the very formula that’s helping Bronny evolve faster than expected. That blend of mentorship, game time, and pressure is molding him in real time. And Smith finally sees it.

“When he plays well, we’re going to give him props. When he doesn’t play well, we’re going to say so. That’s what happens with covering the league. Maybe his pops didn’t tell him that, but I’m going to tell him that.”

“Congrats on a good performance last night, I hope it continues. I believe it will. And I believe he’ll be an NBA player, a bona fide NBA player, a lot sooner than people think based on the progress we’ve seen him make. Props to him.”