For long, veteran ESPN’s analysts Stephen A. Smith had been adamant—Bronny James wasn’t ready for the NBA. The young Los Angeles Lakers guard, drafted amid intense scrutiny, was better suited for the G League, according to Smith. Even after a public confrontation with LeBron James, he stood firm on his stance.
But after Bronny’s latest performance against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 20, something changed.
Stephen Smith Finally Admits Brony’s Talent
It’s not often that Smith admits defeat, but after watching Bronny put up a career-high 17 points, five assists, and shoot 7-of-10 from the field, he had no choice but to reconsider.
“I might have been wrong. Are you listening, LeBron James? Are you listening, James family? Are you listening, Rich Paul?
“My position was all along, was Bronny James needs to be in the G League.”
When asked about Bronny’s performance in the game, Smith didn’t hold back either.
“I was very impressed, because I saw an elevation in his level of confidence, and boy it was like, it didn’t really phase him, he didn’t look this nervous, as he has looked in his previous appearances on a basketball court, like somebody that belongs now.”
“I might have been wrong. Are you listening, LeBron James?” 🤯 @stephenasmith reacts to Bronny James’ career-high performance against the Bucks 👀 pic.twitter.com/3GMW05zbwR
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 21, 2025
Several major Lakers players, including LeBron himself, were sidelined for the game, giving Bronny a prime opportunity to step up. And he did, forcing Smith to rethink his stance.
Smith Rethinks His Stance—but Not Entirely
Of course, Stephen A. wasn’t about to backtrack completely. While acknowledging Bronny’s improvement, he made sure to remind everyone that his initial take wasn’t entirely off.
“What I saw last night made me say to myself, ‘Wait a minute. He keeps showing up and playing like that, JJ Redick and his staff obviously doing an exceptional job coaching him. The G Leaguers obviously doing a good job of preparing him, him sitting on the bench learning and watching the Lakers play… Evidently that seems to be working for him.’”
And just to make sure LeBron knew where he stood, Smith added, “Most people know, we ain’t got to like each other or ever talk to each other in life, for me to admit that you gotta give respect where it’s due.”
Still, he couldn’t resist reminding everyone that he had always believed in Bronny’s potential—just not this soon.
“The same dude that his daddy approached courtside is the same dude that said ‘I thought that he had this potential.’ I just didn’t think it would be this season.”
Stephen A. Smith’s U-Turn and the Courtside Clash with LeBron
This moment of backpedaling from Smith comes just weeks after his heated courtside exchange with King James against the New York Knicks. The confrontation was sparked by Smith’s repeated criticism of Bronny, who was drafted by the Lakers but assigned to their G-League affiliate.
Damn LeBron stepped to Stephen A Smith👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/ZJIDcPU4dL
— LegendOfWinning (@LegendOfWinning) March 7, 2025
LeBron took issue with Smith’s commentary, and their tense interaction quickly became one of the biggest talking points in the NBA. But now, with Bronny stepping up in the absence of key Lakers players, Smith is seeing the bigger picture.
“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 development is proving to be a fascinating storyline, and while the Lakers may have lost to the Bucks, the 20-year-old guard’s breakout game might just be the start of something bigger.
And as for Smith? Well, the fact that he even considered admitting he was wrong tells you everything you need to know. Bronny is making believers out of everyone—even his loudest critic.