Stephen A. Smith compares Bronny James to heavyweight legend's son's ill-fated mismatch against Larry Holmes

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James faced intense scrutiny following his performance in the team's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday. ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith reiterated his criticism of Bronny during Saturday's episode of his podcast, "The Stephen A. Smith Show."

Stephen A. Smith likened Bronny James' NBA presence to Marvis Frazier's boxing career, as he suggested the rookie may have entered the league prematurely. Smith also noted the parallels between the younger James' situation and Marvis Frazier's 1983 fight against Larry Holmes, where he criticized Joe Frazier for allowing his son to face the reigning heavyweight champion.

“Bronny James is not ready to play in the NBA on the night-in and night-out basis. I used the Marvis Frazier going up against Larry Holmes analogy because Joe Frazier was criticized for putting his son up in the ring against former heavyweight champion of the world!”

Bronny James struggled defensively against Tyrese Maxey in the Lakers' 118-104 loss to the Sixers. He ended the game with five missed shots, three rebounds, and one assist.

Although he had an improved performance against the Washington Wizards. It was still not good enough to convince Stephen A. Smith. Bronny recorded five points, two rebounds and two assists in the Lakers' 134-96 win over the Wizards, including a tough and-one finish that LeBron was proud of.

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Stephen A. Smith plead with LeBron James over son, Bronny James

Bronny James' performance in the loss against the Sixers led Stephen A. Smith to make a special request to LeBron James on Wednesday. Smith's request came during an appearance on ESPN's First Take as Bronny's struggles dominated the conversation.

"I am pleading with LeBron James as a father, stop this," Smith said. "Stop this. We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad. ... We love what we're seeing from him in the G League because that's where you belong as you hone your skills ... I am rooting for Bronny. It would be cruel to root against him. He's a wonderful kid, I wish him nothing but the best."

Bronny's performance has drawn significant scrutiny, unusually intense for a second-round draft pick (55th overall). In the NBA, he averages 0.6 points, 0.5 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. However, his performance in the G League with the South Bay Lakers has been better, where he averages 16.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.