Bronny James’s girlfriend’s father, Donde Whitfield, did not mince words in agreeing to Alexis Ohanian clapping back at ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith.
Over at Instagram, Donde Whitfield, father of Bronny James’s girlfriend Parker Whitfield, commented in support of Alexis Ohania calling out Stephen A. Smith.
“Couldn’t love it more. Because ignorance is colorless. And so is realness and authenticity,” Whitfield commented on one post.
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Smith has long been a critic of LeBron James, and has often thrown shade at Bronny as well. At one point, the tension almost became physical, as LeBron and Smith had a sidecourt encounter, which reportedly was about Smith’s comments about Bronny.
Prior to the preseason games, Bronny James said he had turned public scrutiny into fuel for his development after a year of intense criticism driven largely by his father, LeBron James’s high‑profile decisions.
“I think it’s great for me and my mind to just push through the criticism and everything that was thrown my way,” the younger James said at Media Day. “Just to see the growth and skill develop as a player while being scrutinized and stuff like that, I think it’s just good for my head. It’s allowed me to keep going and pushing through.”
As the Lakers head into the season, some analysts project Bronny as a candidate to earn regular‑rotation minutes if his progress continues, but this campaign will be pivotal either way.
JJ Redick Praises Bronny James Despite Mid-Preseason Performance
The Los Angeles Lakers stumbled in their preseason opener, losing 103-81 to the Phoenix Suns in a game that featured heavy lineup changes and limited minutes for stars such as LeBron James and Luka Doncic, giving second-year guard Bronny James a chance to play extended minutes. However, the young James struggled offensively, missing most of his 12 field-goal attempts and eight 3-pointers.
Head coach JJ Redick defended Bronny’s progress, saying the younger James is noticeably more comfortable and confident than a year ago, with improved skills and court awareness, while cautioning that translating individual and small-group gains into consistent 5-on-5 play remains a separate challenge.
“He is so much more comfortable and confident as a player,” Redick said of Bronny. “Skill-wise, read-wise, all of those things have improved, but there’s a big difference between improving those things in individual workouts and small group settings, and doing it 5-on-5. He’s a totally different player than he was a year ago.”
As the regular season closes in, Bronny James is expected to have a bigger and more prominent role as a rotational player for the main Lakers team.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
