“He did what he was supposed to do. Everyone wants the best for their kids.” While Mike Bibby recently attempted to provide a defense for LeBron James, he did not fully deny the nepotism claims that have plagued the Laker. The debate that somebody got a spot in the NBA due to their dad’s influence is not new, as seen with Dell and Steph Curry too. However, having joined the league with poor college stats, and delivering under-par performances in the Summer League and pre-season, the hate for Bronny intensifies. Even Stephen A. Smith has joined the voices handing out a defense for the NBA’s All-Time Lead Scorer and the newly turned 20-year-old.

“When we think about the NBA and what it has become in the 76 billion 11-year deal, they recently signed with various television networks and streaming operations, I got news for you, ‘Is that possible if it were not for LeBron James?’ You have any idea what LeBron James has done for the game of basketball?… And for him to have his son on the team with him, I got no issues with it whatsoever… LeBron James has earned that,” Stephen A. Smith said to kick off his long justification for the Lakers legend.

The sportscaster made it clear that he has no problem with the LeBron-Bronny linkup since the veteran has “earned our respect, our reverence, our deference, our appreciation for us to look at something that he wants and say ‘Excuse me, can we do that for him?’ Yes, we can.”

Stephen A. Smith, subtly adopting Barack Obama’s philosophy, comes from his belief that the NBA community has profited a lot through LeBron James’ name. From highlighting how Cleveland’s local economy lost “billions” after ‘The Decision’ to claim that the hooper holds the same influence even a decade later, Smith feels that he shouldn’t be criticized for making use of what we “owe” him.

“He’s done a lot. He deserves this. Bronny is Bronny, but it ain’t about Bronny, it’s about Bron, as in Lebron,” he expressed on The Stephen A. Smith Show on YouTube. “He deserves this.” Addressing the haters, the 56-year-old admitted that Bronny has yet to ‘prove’ his standing in the NBA, for sure, but the community needs to immediately “stand back, fall back, chill the hell out, and let the man do his thing with his son, and let’s see what and how Bronny develops in the years to come.”

As Viola Davis, portraying Michael Jordan’s mother in Air, stated: “You eat, we eat”, the same thought was applied in regards to the Laker too. The influence that LeBron James began to cultivate right from when he entered the NBA in 2003 continued to pay dividends over the years to come, benefiting him as well as the environment he was in. According to a report by Econ Ed Link, the player vaulted the Cavaliers “into the public prominence”, with his mere presence adding $100 million in city revenue annually.

Having observed LeBron’s time with both Miami and Cleveland, again, from 2014 onwards, Black Enterprise noted that the eateries and bars around the stadium where King James was playing the most increased by 13%, with a 23.5% uptick seen in employment in those places as well. The same numbers, however, dropped when LeBron was not representing either Miami or Cleveland.

The LeBron James effect also benefitted the NBA. In April, it was reported that his and Stephen Curry’s jerseys were the most sold, when compared to all other players, during the 2nd half of the 2023-24 season. A couple of months later, an update would reveal that over 3 million Purple and Gold LeBron jerseys were sold last year.

With an average price of $80, a major chunk of that $240 million would be enriching the Lakers even more! The franchise seems to have already reciprocated his contributions, once they took in Bronny as the 55th overall pick during the 2024 Draft. Now, Smith feels it is time for the rest of the fans to do so, by simply turning the volume down on the criticism.

By using LeBron James’ influence as a foundation to make the case for Bronny, the ESPN sportscaster has found an apt way to get back at the haters. As it turns out, he isn’t the first one to use this reasoning, with a former Lakers legend having already done so.

Michael Cooper defends Bronny James’ inclusion amid Magic Johnson-LeBron James comparison: “Has done so much for the game of basketball”

In August, 68-year-old Michael Cooper sat down for an interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson. Having represented the Lakers from 1978 to 1990, he was a major part of the famous ‘Showtime’ era and got a firsthand glimpse of Magic Johnson rising to greatness. With no better person being there to make a comparison, the former hooper spoke about Lebron’s 22nd NBA season by stating, “He reminds me of Magic when he came back from retirement. LeBron still has athleticism but is not at the level we’re used to seeing. But he still has the knowledge and smarts.”

The respect he held for the younger star caused him to state that if LeBron James can’t use his influence for some additional benefit, then who can? “LeBron James, his father, has done so much for the game of basketball… now he’s being the first player to ever play with his son, and why not do it in a Lakers uniform?” Cooper questioned.

Now, Bronny James is not making it easier, for the nepotism claims to reduce. In his first two pre-season games, the player has only averaged 1 point, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists, along with 0.5-3.5 field goals, 0-1 three-pointers, and 0-0 free throws. As Stephen A. Smith highlighted, however, the young star should be given the benefit of the doubt. Till then, fans can make the best of their game-watching experience by concentrating only on the player who has been making the sport of basketball greater than ever for 2 decades.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.