Stephen A. Smith makes brutally honest request to LeBron James after Bronny James' rough outing 

LeBron James's son, Bronny James, was called up by the LA Lakers for Tuesday's 104-118 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. After a series of impressive performances with the South Bay Lakers in the G League, Bronny said he was shocked to be called up by the Lakers.

Despite that, he checked into Tuesday's game in the first quarter, struggling to contain 76ers standout Tyrese Maxey. Over 15 minutes of action, he went 0-5 from the floor, turning the ball over three times while logging a +/- of -9. On Wednesday, Stephen A. Smith used his time on First Take to make a plea to LeBron.

The way he sees things, given the fact that throughout his 13 NBA appearances, Bronny James is averaging just 0.3 points, 0.4 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per game, LeBron James and the Lakers shouldn't be bringing Bronny in to play on nationally televised games knowing that he isn't ready.

While pointing to Bronny's recent play in the G League, Smith called out LeBron James:

"We love what we're seeing from [Bronny] in the G League because that's where you belong as you hone your skills and you get better ... which I believe he has the potential to do. I am rooting for Bronny James."

"I'm saying this with compassion. I'm asking the greatest player in the game, one of the top two players in the history of basketball. ... He (Bronny) has played 44 minutes, he has scored four points. ... How are you doing him favors? We know that he's not ready yet. ... You're exposing your son like this," Smith said.

---

Looking at Bronny James' recent play in the NBA G League following struggles in LA's recent loss to Philadelphia

Bronny James in action for South Bay Lakers in the G League. (Credits: Getty)

Although Bronny James struggled in LA's 104-118 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, which came despite Joel Embiid and Paul George sitting out, his recent play in the G League has impressed fans and analysts alike.

As Stephen A. Smith pointed out, Bronny has recently found his rhythm in the G League. During the South Bay Lakers' tip-off tournament in November, Bronny struggled through the first two games. Since then, he has delivered impressive stat lines while showing consistency.

Throughout the South Bay Lakers' regular season, Bronny has averaged 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game on 36.6 percent from the field.

However, before being called up by the Lakers on Tuesday, Bronny logged a career-high 31 points in LA's win over Rip City Remix, shooting 45.5 percent from both the floor and three. Along with his scoring outburst, Bronny logged two steals while recording just one turnover for a +/- of +12.

Given that, coach JJ Redick was complimentary of Bronny James after Tuesday's loss, saying that although the second-generation hooper didn't play well against Philly, he's had a great stretch in the G League.