Stephen A. Smith may be changing his tune about Bronny James.
He was recently the subject of many headlines when LeBron James confronted him and told him to stop speaking negatively about his son.
Now, Smith is saying he’s quite impressed by Bronny because of his performance on Thursday night.
Bronny posted a season-high 17 points during his 30 minutes against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Speaking on ESPN, Smith said that he needs to see more than one game, but feels that Bronny might have what it takes to play more in NBA games.
“I’ve always believed that this kid has the potential, once I watched him, to be in the NBA,” Smith said, per NBACentral.
“I’ve always believed that this kid has the potential, once I watched him, to be in the NBA.”
– Stephen A. Smith on Bronny James
(h/t @awfulannouncing )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 21, 2025
Smith said he was one of the few people who didn’t watch Bronny in high school.
Once he did watch him play, he felt the G-League was the right destination for him, at least for the beginning of his career.
Since then, he has often said that Bronny doesn’t deserve a spot in the NBA until his skills get better.
During Thursday’s game, he was showing off all sorts of talent.
The Lakers were incredibly short-handed during the game, without Luka Doncic, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Bronny’s father, and a few more.
That allowed Bronny to enjoy a lot more time on the floor.
He made the most of it and put up three rebounds, five assists, and one block along with his 17 points.
He likely won’t get this many minutes again this season, but his output impressed a lot of people.
It won’t be enough to earn him a spot in the starting five, but it could silence some of the critics who have spoken about him, such as Smith.
