Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James got some great news that came as a shock to the NBA world when it was announced that his sidekick Anthony Davis was heading to the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster trade for star Luka Doncic on Saturday night after LBJ dropped 30 at 40 on the NY Knicks in Madison Square Garden.
NBA Community Reacts To Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis Blockbuster Trade
Plenty of talking heads and fans on social media were against the trade, blaming Dallas for an organizational flop.
”You just traded a player who was the catalyst for winning in this generation,” complained Emmanuel Acho.
Kevin Durant said, “The NBA is a wild place. Everybody involved I’m sure their heads are spinning right now.”
Maybe this will distract the critics who have been lambasting the play of Bronny James, as he struggles to adjust to the NBA.
LeBron has many apologists in the sports world. For years one has been ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who in the past always seemed to stick up for James. One thing Smith has been consistent on is he’s never once mentioned James as being the GOAT, always saying there’s nothing he can do to overtake Michael Jordan.
That has seemingly rubbed James and his guys at Klutch Sports the wrong way, and while that in many ways looked like water under the bridge, Smith’s comments over Bronny James and why he shouldn’t be in the NBA has opened up a new back-and-forth. Smith, who’s long been one to speak his mind did just that as it pertains to Bronny and his struggles during the latest episode of his “Stephen A. Smith Show” podcast.
Smith Calls Out LeBron’s Level Of Sensitivity
During Friday’s episode of ”First Take,” Smith touched on the exchange a bit, but he saved the meat of it for his podcast.
“A couple of people texted me and pissed me — and they know who they are,” said Smith. “People close to LeBron James talking to me about questioning him as a father. C’mon, y’all. I mean, it’s got to a point where this LeBron sensitivity is just beyond the pale. You call him the second-best player in the history of the game; you’re insulting him because you said he’s not the GOAT.”
“You’re saying that at age 40, we’ve never seen anyone do what he does, but pointing out at times that he might not have hustled back on defense in a key, pivotal moment, and that’s a problem. You give him all the praise in the world when he drops 40, and he has a bad night — and you say, ‘He had a bad night,’ — and you’re hating. It’s ridiculous,” Smith said.
Smith Says Bronny Should’ve Only Taken Court For Lakers Once This Season
“But never before has it been more ridiculous than it is right now because the reality is, we gotta be real about what we’re seeing when we talk about Bronny James,” he continued. “I am not a person that had a problem with Bronny James being on the court for the season-opener with LeBron James. That was a phenomenal moment to see a father on the court with his son, who has NBA aspirations, playing together for the first time in NBA history. The Griffeys in baseball — Ken Griffey Sr. and Junior were in attendance for it. It was a special moment.”
“My position has always been: that should’ve been the only moment we saw Bronny James in a Lakers uniform this season because he’s not ready,” he explained. “I’m not here to tell you that he won’t be ready. I’m not here to tell you that he won’t be an NBA player. I’m not here to tell you that he should give up his dreams and aspirations; I think the kid’s got potential. I think the kid will be in the NBA one day. I watch him in the G League doing his thing. I think he’s gonna be fine — eventually.”
Smith is correct, and Bronny’s play exactly mirrors Smith’s descriptions.
Bronny Not Ready For The NBA
How bad has it been for Bronny because he should still be in college or solely in the G-League? The 19-year-old currently has the worst shooting percentage in NBA history (0.91%) from the field. In many ways Bron used his son as a prop to try and get something to one -up Jordan in his quest to be considered the GOAT, and in all honesty it hasn’t helped at all.
Smith says he won’t change how he feels about LeBron and Bronny. He also made it known that he hadn’t seen Bronny play until he arrived with the Lakers because he refused to when he was in high school or college. The very opinionated Smith believes his appearance then would’ve only added to the pressure already placed on Bronny.
Smith Running For Political Office?
Smith, whose guest spots on CNN regularly have been heavy on his hot takes about Donald Trump defeating Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, discussed possibly running for office.
“It’s not me. I live a pretty good life, and I don’t want to ruin it by getting involved in politics,” he said.
However, Smith soon pivoted, saying, “the Democratic Party looks so pathetic after this election, I might entertain running.”
Many believe Smith desires more than ESPN, and running for office in the future is something he just may entertain.