LeBron James’ fierce defense of his son Bronny James has stirred the pot before, but this time it’s his close friend Shannon Sharpe stepping into the fire. After critics pounced on LeBron for what many perceived as a sly dig at Jaylen Brown following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 111-89 loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday, Sharpe wasted no time clapping back.

Speaking on the latest episode of Nightcap alongside Chad Johnson and Joe Johnson, the three-time Super Bowl champion defended LeBron’s comments and pushed back against what he sees as selective outrage.

“If a co-worker says something about it, you’re going to feel some type of way. Absolutely. I don’t know why people can’t get that through their head,” Sharpe said on the show.”At the end of the day, whether or not Bronny James is good enough to be in the NBA, that’s still his son. So imagine, a lot of you guys out there got F up for sons and daughters. When somebody says something about them, you feel some type of way.”

LeBron’s comments came in a standard postgame media session following the Lakers-Celtics matchup. He opened by hyping Brown’s performance and questioning why Brown isn’t more central in MVP discussions — “This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about… It’s a popularity contest sometimes.”

Yet even as LeBron championed Brown’s case, a lingering tension quietly hung in the background. Only when directly asked about their personal relationship did he bring up the lingering issue – Brown’s 2024 Summer League remark doubting Bronny’s pro readiness.

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That comment, it turns out, had never fully faded. Brown had been caught on camera saying he didn’t think Bronny was “a pro” at that stage, a remark that went viral and clearly lingered with LeBron.

James described their relationship as “pretty respectful… besides the sh– he said about Bronny at Summer League,” delivered with a smile before adding, “But other than that, we’ve been alright.”

Fans will argue that Brown was being objective. A glance at Bronny’s performances this year will prove that maybe the Celtics star actually had a point. But Sharpe still stands by his perspective on the whole saga.

“If somebody says something about your kid, are you going to be okay with that? Are you going to be saying, ‘hey, they told the truth’ No….But because it’s LeBron James, y’all like, oh, he blows it out of proportion,” Sharpe concluded.

Shannon Sharpe Goes After Ron Harper Over LeBron James Dig

Sharpe was on the ‘King James’ defence duty after the NBA All-Star weekend as well. While speaking to the press, former NBA star Ron Harper was asked about his ‘vision’ for his sons, Ron Harper Jr. (Boston Celtics, G League two-way contract) and Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs, 2nd overall pick in 2025).

The 5x NBA champion responded with a smirk, saying, “I’m not LeBron James, I don’t tell my kids what to do”. This did not sit well with Sharpe, who went off on Harper.

“Why LeBron on your mind? They’re asking about your kids and you’ve taken it about LeBron. They ask you about your kids, not somebody else’s kids. Did you see the reaction his kids have? They ask Dell Curry about his boys, he don’t mention any other fathers. He says, ‘Aye, they come to practice, do stuff like that.’ He don’t mentioned anybody else because they ask him about his kids. I don’t get that. Maybe it ain’t for me to understand,” Sharpe said on the show.

Sharpe’s fiery rebuttal underscores a recurring theme: LeBron’s family decisions draw outsized scrutiny, yet Harper’s jab exemplifies how peers pile on.

Unconditional parental support, like Dell Curry’s quiet pride in Steph and Seth, shouldn’t invite criticism. Doubters like Harper will be quick to comment on nepotism, but only because of the LeBron brand. At the end of the day, the father-son bond trumps any form of public nitpicking. Bronny’s hoops journey deserves grace, not shade.