Ryan Clark has some advice for LeBron James after his confrontation with Stephen A. Smith last week. The former NFL star argued that James could have handled the situation with Smith better. LeBron James had confronted Stephen A. Smith publicly for criticizing his son, Bronny, in court. Clark admonished the basketball star for depriving his son of a learning moment, which he claimed could affect his reputation. He also advised LeBron to learn to stand back since his actions could impact every player on the court.
Ryan Clark Speaks On LeBron James And Stephen A. Smith Confrontation
LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith got into an altercation last week at the Crypto.com Arena that went viral. The confrontation stemmed from Smith’s criticism of LeBron’s son on the court. Clark, a co-panelist on First Take, alongside Smith, reacted on The Pivot Podcast this week, saying LeBron’s actions disappointed him. He noted that LeBron needed to let his son grow into his person. Clark said this would help Bronny learn to handle criticism and scrutiny by himself since he can’t escape it.
The ESPN analyst acknowledged that “LeBron did what he needed to do “as a father, but he should have been discrete for Bronny’s sake.
“[Bronny] is more negatively critiqued and analyzed than any player who would be picked in that position who does the job the way that he does it. But he’s also praised more, he’s also been drafted in a place that his resume probably didn’t say he should have been drafted in,” Ryan Clark said.
Ryan Clark Says LeBron James’s Actions Affected Other Players
Ryan Clark emphasized on the podcast that Bronny has “also benefited in NIL when he only averaged 4 points per game. He has marketing and commercials and publicity and following and getting paid away from the court” because of his father’s influence. He stated that LeBron’s actions hindered Smith from doing the job he got paid to do.
“I get approaching SAS as a father, but he wasn’t ‘only’ protecting his seed. He was speaking on behalf of another professional athlete who SAS is paid to analyze,” he said.
Clark added that LeBron’s actions showed that he only wanted his son to enjoy the positive aspects of the sport. He said about the basketball icon’s decision:
“Could you imagine the outrage if Lavar Ball ran up on the Biggest voice in sports?
Ryan Clark further made a point many critics have also pointed out. He shared that LeBron defending his son publicly would only reinforce the idea that Bronny is where he is due to his father’s influence. He said that LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith’s confrontation also suggested that the junior James was above criticism.
LeBron James And Stephen A Smith’s Confrontation
Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James’ confrontation stemmed from the former’s criticism of LeBron’s son, Bronny, last Tuesday. An exasperated LeBron jumped to his son’s defense publicly, causing a lot of intrigue. According to the Los Angeles Times, Smith addressed the issue the following day on First Take. He said he understood why LeBron was upset with him. He also acknowledged that he would have acted in a similar way if he were in the same position. He then doubled down on his beliefs on air.
Smith warned LeBron he was putting too much pressure on his son.
“I am pleading with LeBron James as a father: Stop this,” he said. “Stop this. We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad.”
He added:
“How are you doing him favors? We know that he’s not ready yet. And I’m saying this with compassion. … You know what these numbers mean. You know what it’s going to do to your son, to people that are missing out on opportunities, that are busting their tail on other NBA teams and the G League and Europe and everywhere else, what kind of opportunity they’re starving for. You’re exposing your son like this?”
LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith have never had any love lost between them, so the friction is not unexpected. However, as Ryan Clark pointed out, LeBron needs to allow his son to face criticism like others. That way, he will become more aware of his shortcomings and gain more experience on the court.
#Clique, what do you think about Ryan Clark’s comments about LeBron James? Let us know in the comments.
