Stephen A. Smith: 'I might have been wrong' about Bronny James' NBA readiness

Stephen A. Smith isn’t rather acceptable to admit helium was incorrect astir Bronny James.

But the ESPN property did laic the groundwork for specified an admittance connected “First Take” the greeting aft the lad and teammate of Lakers superstar LeBron James played his champion NBA game.

Two weeks earlier, aft Smith was confronted by an aggravated James implicit comments the TV expert had made astir his son, Smith had taken to the aforesaid airwaves to asseverate that helium wasn’t being disrespectful successful saying helium felt Bronny James belonged successful the G League arsenic a rookie.

On Friday, however, Smith told viewers, “I mightiness person been wrong” astir Bronny James’ NBA imaginable this season.

That acknowledgment came aft Bronny James stepped up successful the lack of a multitude of his teammates — including his father, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Dorian Finney-Smith — against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

The effect of the crippled mightiness person been a blowout nonaccomplishment for the Lakers, but Bronny James had a breakthrough performance. His 17 points and 5 assists successful 30 minutes were each vocation highs, and his 3 rebounds tied his NBA best.

“I was precise impressed,” Smith said of Bronny James’ performance. “I was precise impressed due to the fact that I saw an elevation successful his level of assurance and poise. It was similar it didn’t truly faze him. He didn’t look arsenic tense arsenic helium had looked successful erstwhile appearances connected the hoops court. He looked similar idiosyncratic that belonged. …

“There were immoderate moves that helium enactment retired connected the tribunal — ball-handling skills, getting to the basket, finishing astatine the basket, pulling up for jumpers, hitting a three, 17 points, 7-of-10 shooting from the tract — I was impressed.”

He added: “And if that benignant of worldly continues, past so he’ll beryllium successful the league arsenic a bonafide subordinate sooner than later. One crippled doesn’t marque that determination. You request to bash much than that. But I wanted to marque definite I emphasized that point.”

Smith was sitting courtside astatine Crypto.com Arena for the Lakers-Knicks crippled March 6 erstwhile James approached him during a timeout and angrily addressed him look to face. Smith said the adjacent time that James had travel up to him “to face maine astir making definite I caput what I accidental astir his son.”

On Friday, Smith reiterated what helium has said galore times since the incident, that helium had ne'er disrespected Bronny James.

“But I did judge that helium belonged successful the G League to get himself honed for the NBA level,” Smith said. “What whitethorn person been incorrect astir that is that evidently being astir JJ Redick and that unit and being astir Pops and the remainder of the Los Angeles Lakers — combined with the G League, going backmost and distant — whitethorn beryllium doing wonders for him sooner than we anticipated. Because I liked what I saw past night.

“And I’m gonna support the aforesaid energy. When helium plays well, we gonna springiness him props. When helium doesn’t play well, we’re going to accidental so. That’s what happens with covering the league. Maybe his Pops didn’t archer him that, but I’m gonna archer him that. Congrats connected a bully show past night. I anticipation it continues. I judge it will.”