"Own it. It's you.": Stephen A Smith goes nuclear on LeBron James, says harsh spotlight on Bronny linked to Lakers star's incessant tweeting
LeBron James' son, Bronny James, has found his name in the media this week after ESPN removed the USC standout from their 2024 mock draft. The move was somewhat shocking as the expectation was that the second-generation hooper would likely ente the upcoming draft. Despite that, ESPN has now shifted Bronny to the 2025 draft.
The situation caught the attention of the NBA community with fans and analysts quick to weigh in. While some were surprised by the move, others explained that waiting another year before joining the NBA could be in Bronny's best interest.
Amidst all the talking, LeBron James took to social media to defend his son, saying that he wants Bronny to have time to enjoy college basketball without pressure. According to Stephen A. Smith, who spoke on Tuesday's edition of First Take, the blame for the coverage surrounding Bronny and the NBA draft is on LeBron.
"Let me be very delicate. I'm not joking around. I'm not playing. I'm going to be very serious. ... Bronnie James, that kid has done nothing. The kid has done nothing but work hard, try to get on his game, and all of this other stuff, any attention that he's warranted has been because of his daddy. ...
"LeBron is entirely and completely culpable for any kind of critique coming in Bronnie's. Direction at this juncture. And it's not wrong. I'm not saying it's a crime. I'm just saying, own it. It's you. It's not the media. That's LeBron."
Looking at LeBron James' comments about Bronny joining the NBA
As previously mentioned, when ESPN updated their mock draft for 2024 and shifted Bronny James to the 2025 draft, many were quick to take note. As LeBron James indicated in a Tweet, Bronny doesn't care what the mock draft says, he just wants to work on improving his game.
Since then, the tweet has been deleted from the platform, although it's unclear whether that was because of blow-back from fans in the replies. Alternatively, some have suggested that the future Hall of Famer may have taken the post down at the request of his family, however, we can't know for certain.
The tweet not only came on the heels of ESPN adjusting its mock draft, it also came after LeBron James had indicated previously Bronny was NBA-ready. Back in March, James took to Twitter, indicating that while watching League Pass, he came to the conclusion that Bronny is better than some of the players.
That tweet has continued to generate tons of attention from the NBA community, especially in the wake of his recent tweet being deleted. While it's not clear what the future holds for Bronny and the NBA, it's safe to say the NBA community will be watching to see how his NCAA career unfolds.