Even if it wasn’t on the NBA level this time, Bronny James continues to impress. During the South Bay Lakers game against the Santa Cruz Warriors, the Lakers rookie stood out.
James put up 39 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists while shooting 14-for-21 from the field. James fans not only lauded him but also called out media personality Stephen A. Smith after the game.
Fans Call Out Stephen A. Smith
After James’ performance, fans called out Smith personally on X. In response to James’ statline, one named “Mob J” called out Smith while giving out two Shhh emojis.
.@stephenasmith 🤫🤫
— Mob J (@_MobJ) March 25, 2025
Another named “desire” made it pretty simple with Smith (though he didn’t call out his X handle) by simply saying “Apologize.”
stephen a… apologize
— desire (@dgsire) March 25, 2025
This all stems from Smith’s claim a few weeks ago that James was not ready to be an NBA player on his YouTube Channel.
The irony is that Smith has since retracted those statements, even admitting he may have been wrong about James.
James’ Improved Performances
These are welcome developments to see from James. The term “nepo baby” has been used ad nauseam to describe James by his detractors even before he came to the NBA. Seeing him dominate in the G-League not too long after having one of his best performances in the NBA is a great sign that he could be here to stay.
However, is this really the time and place to call out Smith? Plenty of non-NBA players can dominate on a G-League level. The G-League is a developmental league for a reason. While it’s great to see James stand out among his peers on that stage, it doesn’t really prove what Smith had said earlier was wrong.
It would make sense if James did this on an NBA level. He may well do this at that level sometime, but doing this in the G-League does not prove anything about what his NBA projections could be.
Again, Smith has already admitted that he may have been wrong for saying what he did about James. There’s no point in rubbing that in when he has already changed his mind. The Lakers rookie could be something special, but it might take time.
Some of the criticism directed toward James is indeed unwarranted because it stems from his familial ties. In this case, the criticism directed towards Smith is just as unwarranted because the evidence is flimsy, and he’s already had a mea culpa.