Stephen A. Smith believes LeBron James’s social media exit has more to do with protecting Bronny than escaping his own critics. The ESPN analyst suggests the mounting evidence of Bronny’s struggles – from high school through his early professional career – has finally pushed his father to step away from social media scrutiny. On Sunday, Nov. 24, Stephen A. Smith posted a video on his YouTube channel laying out his reasoning.
“LeBron James electing to get off of social media. Is that because of you, LeBron James, or is it because of your son, Bronny James and his struggles?” Smith questioned, pointing to Bronny’s trajectory from mediocre high school star to struggling professional.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James against the Orlando Magic at Crypto.com Arena.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The numbers paint a clear picture of Bronny’s development. Despite being a McDonald’s All-American ranked 19th in the 2023 recruiting class, his statistics have been modest at every level. At Sierra Canyon High School, where his team won three Mission League titles in four years, he averaged 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists his senior year. These numbers raised eyebrows, with critics noting that All-Americans typically post more dominant statistics.
His transition to college basketball at USC showed similar limitations, averaging just 4.8 points, 2.1 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game. Now as a pro splitting time between the G-League and NBA, he’s averaging a mere 0.7 points while shooting 16.7%.
“Truthfully speaking, it only makes sense that it’s Bronny James,” Smith continued. “Not to be redundant, but I think it’s necessary to be that way, Bronny James doesn’t belong in the NBA. Not yet. Some people say never. I don’t believe that. I think the kid has a chance… but he’s not ready yet.”
Smith acknowledged LeBron’s own history with media scrutiny but suggested this situation is different. “LeBron James is one of the most scrutinized players in the NBA because when he came along is when social media shortly followed… So we understand that LeBron James has received a heightened level of scrutiny, but we also understand that he’s fully capable of taking and absorbing it and stomaching it. So why step away now?”
The timing of LeBron’s social media exit, coupled with Bronny’s ongoing struggles, suggests that Smith might be onto something. While LeBron has weathered decades of intense media scrutiny, watching his son face similar pressure might be an entirely different kind of challenge.