LeBron James's ex-teammate takes direct shots at Stephen A. Smith's 'father' jab after Bronny James's stellar G League game

After Bronny James's 15-minute outing last month for the LA Lakers, Stephen A. Smith called out LeBron James, saying that James should make sure his son stays in the G League to develop, rather than put him in a position to be scrutinized with the LA Lakers.

After Smith revealed that people close to LeBron James reached out to him, the outspoken TV personality doubled down, saying that Bronny James should continue to develop in the G League.

Now, after a 28-point outing that saw James lead South Bay to an 18-point win over the Suns, LeBron James's former teammate, Richard Jefferson has weighed in. In a post on X, Jefferson offered Bronny James some advice while taking a direct shot at Stephen A. Smith:

"I beg you as a father, keep grinding and don’t listen to the BS."

Jefferson's usage of the words, "I beg you as a father," is a direct reference to Smith saying on TV, "I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father. Stop this," after Bronny James's 15-minute outing against the Philadelphia 76ers last month.

Stephen A. Smith calls out sensitivity surrounding LeBron James & Bronny James after unnamed individuals close to James family reached out over criticism

After Bronny James struggled to keep up with guarding Tyrese Maxey last month, LA coach JJ Redick didn't mince words, saying that he may have put the second-generation NBA player in a tough spot.

While Stephen A. Smith praised Bronny James for his play in the G League, his comments pleading with LeBron to stop letting his son play in the NBA until he's ready didn't sit well with those close to the future Hall of Famer.

During an episode of his Stephen A. Smith podcast last week, the ESPN personality opened up on a message he received:

"I spoke about this, and I felt the need to elaborate even further because a couple of people texted me and pissed me off, and they know who they are. People close to LeBron James talking to me about questioning him as a father. Come on y'all. I mean, it's got to a point where this LeBron sensitivity is just beyond the pale."

Based on his response to the texts from James's camp, it sounds like Smith has no plans of backing off any time soon.