LeBron James’ ex teammate drops hilarious reaction to Stephen A Smith’s U-turn on Bronny James

LA Lakers rookie Bronny James just played the best game of his young career against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. The shorthanded Lakers squad had to sit out several of their core players due to injury, which meant the reserves were given a chance to shine.

James played the most minutes he's ever suited up in an NBA game, which resulted in a career-high in points. Following that game, Stephen A. Smith lauded the rookie's performance on "First Take." His sudden praise of James appears to have caught some people off guard, including Richard Jefferson.

Jefferson, who played with LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers, shared his reaction to Smith's words on X. Jefferson's post did not include words; he opted for a GIF to express his emotions.

Hearing Smith applaud Bronny James for a good performance isn't surprising. Before James' big game, Smith's words made it seem like he didn't believe in the rookie.

His comments have caused some friction between him and LeBron James. This led to a confrontation between the two courtside when the Lakers faced the New York Knicks on March 6.

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What did Stephen A. Smith say about Bronny James following his good game?

On Jan. 28, Bronny James eclipsed over 10 minutes of action for the first time in an NBA game. He played 15 minutes but failed to record a point after going 0-5. The LA Lakers ended up losing that game 118-104.

Following the game, Stephen A. Smith went on his eponymous show to talk about the match, specifically LeBron and Bronny. Part of Smith's criticism was aimed at LeBron James while also sharing his thoughts on Bronny as a player.

"I'm not here to tell you that (Bronny) won't be ready, I'm not here to tell you that he won't be an NBA player," Smith said (Timestamp: 2:32). "I'm not here to tell you that he should give up his dreams and aspirations, I think the kid's got potential."

Smith added that while he thinks this, Bronny isn't NBA-ready yet.

Fast forward to the episode of "First Take" following Thursday's Bucks vs. Lakers game, Smith seems to echo the same sentiment. He said that he was impressed with Bronny James' confidence and how he appeared poised on the court.

He then addressed the James family directly, saying he might have been wrong about Bronny.

"My position was all along, Bronny James needs to be in the G League," Smith said. "Let him be in the G League his first year, then after that, let him come on because I've always believed that this kid has the potential, once I watched him, to be in the NBA."

Stephen A. Smith's criticism has always been aimed toward LeBron James. He's acknowledged that Bronny has been struggling but always seems to go back to pointing the finger at LeBron for it.