LeBron James pulled off yet another superhuman feat this year, only this one didn’t include a massive block or a big shot on the NBA hardwood. James helped put the wheels in motion for his son, Bronny James, to be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The move is a testament to James’ longevity and greatness, and as a result, the outspoken Stephen A Smith believes this is one place fans and media just need to zip it.
In a monologue on his Stephen A. Smith Show podcast following the Lakers’ second preseason game in which both Jameses shared the court for the first time, Smith detailed why anyone within the orbit of the NBA owes it to James to give him the space to have this time with his son.
“There’s a whole host of folks throughout the world of sports … that engage in a level of nepotism that we all notice,” Smith said. “This is Bronny James, the son of LeBron James. And when we think about the NBA and what it has become, and 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?”
Smith believes that because of James’ long-lasting impact on the NBA and the sport of basketball, nobody has earned the right to finagle behind the scenes for an opportunity like this more than him.
“For him to have his son on the team with him, I’ve got no issues with it whatsoever,” Smith argued. “LeBron James has earned that. Bronny James has something to prove. Fair enough. But LeBron James has earned it. He 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. Not just the Lakers, but NBA fans everywhere. Yes, we owe it to LeBron James.”
Smith also pushed everyone watching to be realistic about how they have benefited from James’ presence in the league. From a beat reporter in Cleveland or Miami to a small business owner in downtown Los Angeles to a content creator at their desk anywhere else in the world, James has brought an undoubted windfall to the sport.
So Smith believes that alone is enough to give James the freedom to do whatever he darn well wants with his power as an athlete.
“When you’ve meant that much to the league, when you’ve done that much for the league, when we’ve spent decades profiting off your greatness … guess what? He still does,” Smiths aid. “And it’s because of that that you should have no problem with him facilitating his son having the opportunity.”
Beyond the business side, Smith also explained why James’ on-court greatness is enough to give him sway over the Lakers and any other team he might land on.
“If he were not so great, if he were not so phenomenal, if he were not such a winner, he would not have been able to pull this off,” Smith said. “But why was he able to pull this off? Because dammit, he’s LeBron James, and the rest of us are not.”
Smith also noted that owners and coaches constantly engage in nepotism with far less on their resumes than James. It’s a good reminder that when James retires and pursues ownership or entertainment, he probably will get to cut the line then as well.
Only it isn’t cutting the line at all, because James earned his good fortune with hard work across two decades as the face of the NBA.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.