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Candace Owens
All right, guys, It's Friday, and LeBron James appears to have officially lost the thread. He doesn't want people to notice that his son is not performing well at the NBA level, at the big league level, which, by the way, should come as a shock to nobody, because, like I noticed, many people have noticed this. His son wasn't performing well before the NBA. So this is a little bit of nepotism. We're going to talk about that. Apparently he freaked out because no one's allowed to criticize his son. No one's allowed to criticize Bronnie. And so he freaked out on Stephen a SM courtside. And it's trending and it's interesting also. Yes, you guys, I have seen your emails and your tags on X regarding the Daily Wire co CEO Jeremy Boring's tweet, which people are reasonably inferring to be about me and Theo Vaughn and Ian Carroll on Joe Rogan. So I'm of course going to give you my response to that tweet. All that coming up on Candace. All right, parents, listen up. Listen up, parents. You never want to be the father at the little league game that runs into the middle of the field and starts screaming at the ump over a bad call because it's just Little League, bro. It's not gonna make or break anybody's life. And it's so embarrassing to your child. And I always think about that, you know, as my kids now, they have so many of them are growing up and iron. Just a couple of days ago, I signed my 4 year old up for T ball. And I said to my husband, oh, I signed him up for T ball. You're gonna take him. But look, you are not allowed to be that guy. You are not allowed to be that father at the T ball game. And he seriously, my husband asked me, what is T ball? These are like these, these fun moments of English and American marriages. Because obviously my husband Raj watches cricket. I have no idea really what cricket is. And he genuinely had never heard of T ball, but of course, he wouldn't be that person. And beyond that, I wanna say this to parents. Please do not press to do what you are doing in life, okay? Greatness cannot necessarily be transferred. Neither, by the way, can mediocrity. That is to say that some rather mediocre people can birth individuals that go on to do great things, and some great people can birth people that go on to do mediocre things. And it's not a problem. Everybody is different. And what people want and desire out of life is Very different. So in case you are not a sports person like me, I'll say that right at the top. I'm not a sports person. I'm a common sense person. Let's just discuss the facts regarding Bronnie James. LeBron James, Jude Jr. That is LeBron James's firstborn son. And I want to be clear here that it was entirely an act of sheer nepotism that brought him into the NBA. So for clarity, he. I would say LeBron James sort of wanted to sketch his firstborn son in his name and likeness, so to speak. And early on, by the way, I mean, this kid was like 10 years old and he was playing basketball. And LeBron James spoke about how he was getting all of these offers, and it was sort of inappropriate. And I want to say two things here. From the business side of things, for a bunch of colleges to be wanting to draft him makes sense. The marketing potential to have LeBron James Jr. Is there. So there is a business consideration of saying, like, honestly, just having you here, no matter how great you are, or maybe you're just average, it doesn't matter because there is, like I said, strong brand potential. Bronnie, of course, did play basketball in high school, and I want to be clear, he was good. Like, there. He's not a bad player by any stretch of an imagination. He is good. He averaged around 14 points per game at the high school level. And for those of you, for those of us rather who remember high school and cheerlead, like, if you were making, scoring 14 points per game at that level, you're good. Again, not exactly a necessary, necessary free ride to the NBA. You're not exactly going straight to the NBA. You're nowhere near going straight to the NBA. In fact, for comparison, his father, LeBron James, averaged 31.6 points in his senior year of high school. That's why he was drafted right away. Kobe Bryant averaged 30.8 points in high school. Kyrie Irving, 26.5 points per game. Michael Jordan, Jordan, 25 points per game. He's one of those stories that, like, you know, he kind of went up from there and. Yeah, so. But still, 14 points per game. There's no reason to hate. That's. He's. He plays basketball and he's good at playing basketball. And he. I'm sure he was very fun to watch when he was in high school. Beyond high school, he played just one season at usc. Now, you guys don't remember the press on this. He had, like, that cardiac arrest, terrible event. And right when he was beginning to play for usc. Then he got better, and he was able to play, I think, something like 26 games. But he averaged. During those games, he averaged less than five points per game. In his lone season at usc, at the collegiate level, he averaged less than five points per game. And that was apparently all the NBA needed to see. Okay, I want to be clear here that not even LeBron James can deny what happened next was an act of sheer nepotism. Because in 2022, LeBron J told the athletic quote, my last year will be played with my son. Wherever Bronnie is at, that's where I will be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It's not about the money at that point. So what is he saying? He is saying, this is my dream. Me, LeBron James, the dad, the father. This is my dream. I don't even care about the money. I just want that moment of playing with my son. And sure, that's sweet. Okay, I love a little fairy tale. I love a little, you know, daddy and me fairy tale of playing together. But to pretend that he didn't say that, to pretend that didn't happen, to pretend that there was no consideration for the Lakers or any team that was looking at LeBron James, that like he is saying that no matter what, this must happen or he's not going to play. It's a nonsense. You're just. Now you're just gaslighting the public. Okay, sure enough, in 2024, Bronnie signed a four year, $7.9 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was the 55th pick of the NBA draft. And if you're wondering if there were other motivations with that pick, well, I can tell you this. He was picked on the very same day that LeBron James agreed to an extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. That making them the first father son duo in the history of the NBA. And to be clear, that's what that was about. It was. It was the story. They wanted the story. They didn't care about the practicality, the potential movies that would be written, the movie scripts that could be written in the future. They wanted the feelings. They didn't really care so much about the facts in that moment by any means necessary. I don't care about the money. I want to make this happen. Okay? LeBron James's dream was realized. I'm saying again, LeBron James dad's dream was realized in October when on the opening day of the Lakers season, he was able to play with his Son. And the headlines of that moment met the emotions of the moment. Here was the press coverage on that day via the Associated Press quote, LeBron James and Bronny James became the first father and son to play in the NBA together Tuesday night during the Los Angeles Lakers season opener. LeBron and Bronny checked into the game together with four minutes left in the second quarter, prompting a big ovation from a home crowd. Aware of the enormity of the milestone. LeBron had already started the game and he had played 13 minutes before he teamed up with his 20 year old son to make history. Okay, beautiful. Love that. Obviously, LeBron James is the 39 year old top scorer in NBA history, while LeBron James Jr. Was a second round pick from the Lakers last summer. As I said, they reiterated in these articles that they were the first father and son to play in the world's top basketball league at the same time, let alone on the same team, which is just woof. This is amazing. But here's the thing. The facts always eventually catch up with the feelings. The dream, so to speak, catches up with reality. Of course, people are going to note that your son is just not you at some point and that you're basically sort of deluding yourself by pretending that your son is as amazing and worthy of playing alongside you in the big league. Now, I should be clear that Bronnie is playing primarily for the Lakers G league team, the South Bay Lakers. And those of you that don't know much about that, it's essentially like the minor league team where you're supposed to develop your skills and potentially play for the big league one day. They, they can. The, like the, the big league, the Lakers can call you up, they can call up their G league players if they need them. And at the G league level, Bronnie's, he's playing great. Like he's, he, he fits in there at that level. I think he's something like the number four scorer overall on the G team roster. And like I said, that's good. But what makes Bronnie unusual is how is getting on the Lakers team. Okay, Bronnie is starting games for the Lakers. He's played thus far in 18 games this season. And here's the rules. Let me tell you how it works. If you want to play in the big leagues, then you're going to have to deal with big league criticism, okay? No one gets to go around that. You don't get to say, well, my daddy's LeBron James and he says I shouldn't have to Listen to any criticism at all. So recently, on January 28, Bronnie played again for the Lakers alongside his father against the Philadelphia 76ers. And he played for 15 minutes straight, and he did not score a single point. Now, apparently, according to Stephen A. Smith, it's sort of this unspoken rule that even in the world of sports commentating, you're not really allowed to criticize LeBron's son. Okay? And Stephen A. Smith, obviously has been a sports commentator forever. He told the truth about Bronnie's performance. He said that he started getting a ton of. A ton of text messages from people who were like, you can't do that. You can't question. Because he's looking at the situation going, why is his dad put him through this? You know, he's now at the NBA level. Of course there's going to be criticism. And you can't just cry your way out of this. Your son's going to be criticized if you do not score a single point in 15 minutes. It's open season. And here is what Stephen A. Smith said specifically that eventually sets LeBron James off. Take a listen.
Stephen A. Smith
I am not a person that had a problem with Bronnie James being on the court for the season opener with LeBron James. That was a phenomenal moment to see a father on the court with his son who has NBA aspirations, playing together for the first time in NBA history. The Griffeys in baseball, Ken Griffey Sr. And Jr. Were in attendance for it. It was a special moment. My position has always been that should have been the only moment we saw Bronny James in a Lakers uniform this season because he's not ready. I'm not here to tell you that he won't be ready. I'm not here to tell you that he won't be an NBA player. I'm not here to tell you that he should give up his dreams and his aspirations. I think the kid's got potential. I think the kid will be in the NBA one day. I watched him in the G League doing his thing. I think he's going to be fine eventually. But that's not the case yet. And because it's not the case yet, and then you see some of these numbers. I do find myself looking at LeBron James instead of Bronny James, because LeBron is the basketball savant. LeBron is one of the top two greatest players in the history of the game. LeBron has gotten forgotten more basketball than most people would know. So no matter what we think about Bronnie he knows more. But you see what you see. Bronnie James has played in 13 NBA games, ladies and gentlemen. He's averaging 0.3 points, 0.3 assists, and 0.4 rebounds. He shot 1 for 16 from the field in his NBA career and 0 for 7 from three point range. And he's playing in the first quarter of an NBA game. Really. And everybody wants to look at it. And LeBron has nothing to do with that. That's. Yeah, he didn't tell JJ Redick to put him in the G. I get all that, but come on. I'm not being cruel to Bronnie. I'm. I'm looking out. Do you want it this way, LeBron.
Candace Owens
Totally agree with that commentary. And by the way, I should clarify. He played in the first quarter, so he didn't start, but he played in the first quarter, and the results are disastrous. Okay? 15 minutes in a game and you don't score anything. And even if you say, like, somebody can have a bad night, that's fine, but you have to allow sports commentators to do their jobs, okay? You have to allow them to say things. Nobody says to Tom Brady when he was. When he was playing as the qb if he had a terrible game. Well, he's just. You can't say anything about him because this is who his dad. It's. It's pointedly ridiculous. What are you talking about? Again, if you are trying to make the argument, LeBron, that your son is ready to play in the big leagues, that he has to be ready to deal with the criticism, okay? That's just how this works. But LeBron James said, no. No one talks about my son again. Apparently, this is an unwritten rule. He. He wants to cry and spike his ball and go home. That's what LeBron James wants to do. He's like, no one can say anything. I own this league. I scored so many points. He's just crying like a little baby. He. Like, this is pointedly ridiculous. A big old man crying like a baby, trying to protect the feelings of his son. What is he learning in life from you? And so last night, LeBron James decided to thug Stephen A. Smith on the court side of a Lakers game. Stephen A. Smith sitting courtside with Ari Emanuel. Yes, that Ari Emanuel from the Justin Baloney, Baldoni and Larry David. Everybody likes Larry David. And he found a moment and decided, like, I saw that clip, and now I'm going to approach you here. Here is a clip of that. If you are listening to this on audio, you'll have to go watch it on YouTube or on Rumble. But I'm going to just show you the clip and I'll talk over it. You can see he's very angry. And the social media has determined, you know, these expert lip readers. And it does look like he says exactly this, that he told him, keep my son out of this ish, bro. But he said the S word. Keep my son out of this ish, bro. So, like, he pulled the Will Smith to Stephen A. Smith, keep my wife's name out your mouth, bro. And that obviously is meant to be intimidating. And if you are saying keep my son out of this ish, then your son should not be in this ish. That's it. That's how this works. Again, this is. This is the free market. It's competition. If you think he can't handle the criticism, that he should not be on the court. Okay, so this is a scenario where you have this angry dad because his son isn't good enough. And now you're blaming the umps you're playing. You're. You're blaming the referees. You're blaming Stephen A. Smith for noticing that your son didn't do anything. And it's also kind, kind of this archetype of a guilty dad. Like the reason why he is so angry. Usually when people are expressing anger, it's because you're hitting upon a truth. Right? You're hitting upon a truth. He heard Stephen A. Smith. He heard his words. He heard that it's true. He heard and. And recognized those words to be true. And he knows that his son is going to hear these words and recognize that it's true. He's forcing his son into this embarrassment. And how foolish to say or to suggest that. Well, he's not making the calls. He's not the one putting him in. No, he's just the one who essentially said, I won't even play. I won't even play unless I'm able to play alongside my son. The money means nothing to me. There was no offer the Lakers could give me that meant more to me than playing alongside my son. You were selfish, LeBron. That is the reality. You did something that was selfish because you wanted it. And now your son is dealing with the brunt of your decision making. Dave Portnoy. I thought some this up quite brilliantly on X when he tweeted this, he tweeted, my heart aches for Bronnie James. The poor kid doesn't belong in the NBA. He can't quit. He didn't ask for this. His dad created an Impossible situation for him. He's a make a wish kid in the N B A. I just hope his dad's insatiable ego doesn't ruin his love for this beautiful game. I agree with that. That is a totally sensible commentary. Bronnie doesn't actually deserve any of this heat, but LeBron fully does, and that's why he's so angry. He knows he deserves this. It is an insatiable ego that put your son in this circumstance in the first place. And he's just basically saying, stop noticing. Pretend my son is brilliant at this game to make me happy in my final years on the court. And people are not going to do that. But I want to say this. You can be mad at me all you want, because that's okay. I can actually deal with criticism. Bronny James, this situation with LeBron James and what his father has done via nepotism is actually living, breathing proo as to why conservatives believe that affirmative action doesn't work okay. When you give people opportunities or put them into circumstances that they haven't actually earned, when it's not a meritocracy and you force someone into a position that they haven't actually earned and you artificially place them into places that they don't belong. Disaster. It can be the only end point. And I actually learned this. I'm pretty sure this was from Shelby Steel. This was the book that I read, White Guilt by Shelby Steele. How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era. And at this time, I was liberal and started to get conservative interested and wanted to at least read and learn more about the arguments because, oh, how could you disagree with affirmative action? We had all of these years of slavery. And then he put it so succinctly when he was describing this time period. And I'm paraphrasing here, and I hope it's Shelby Steele and not a Thomas Sowell book that I read that I'm confusing it with. But essentially, he was an adjunct professor at Cornell University, and he noticed that all of these black kids were on academic probation, and he thought that was very strange. He went to go investigate, like, why are all of these black students on academic probation? And what he learned was that while these students were some of the most brilliant in the entire nation because of affirmative action, they were placed into schools that they wouldn't have gotten into otherwise. So you forced them to be at Cornell University, and they're competing now with peers that aren't really their peers. Whereas if you had allowed them to be where they're supposed to be. Maybe they would have been at a different university that wasn't Ivy League. They would have been at the top of their class. So you. It's exactly what's happening with Bronnie, right? You've artificially placed him amongst a group of people that he's not supposed to be with. He can't play at this level. And so for him, he walks away. And he feels like a failure. He feels like, I'm on academic probation. I can't ball. Why am I doing the sport? And it just. It completely deflates these individuals. And he. Shelby Steele, when he investigated this, he was speaking about how so many of these kids then just dropped out. But imagine if they went to, like, the University of Rhode Island. They would have been, like, graduating cum laude and would have been like, yeah, I'm amazing. And would have the confidence that they deserved. Because, like I said, he. He assessed that they were something like in the top 90 percentile of all students, but were artificially placed at Cornell University where they were failing amongst their peers. Bronnie is making this mistake. He is making this mistake. His father, rather LeBron James, is making this mistake. He is actually harming his son, giving his son this, like, deflated sense that he doesn't deserve because he's actually a good basketball player. You know, he's a good basketball player. He's just not ready and never has been ready to be in the NBA. And. And then there's this. By the way, I want to say this. If you are going to make the argument that your child does deserve to be there still, LeBron James, you should know that when you do something like that, it makes it 10 times harder for him. Okay? Because that's Daddy crying. That's like Daddy saying, like, we're rich and powerful, and you will do and say, and give my son the grades that he deserves, even though he doesn't deserve them. And now he's got to go back to the G League team. Everybody's watched this moment. Everybody knows this moment is about. And what do you think that. How. That. How that feels when the dad freaks out at the Little League game and he yells at someone, the commentator, the whoever it is, what do you. How do you think that child feels when he goes amongst his playmates after that? He feels more out of place. He feels like he's not wanted. He feels like everybody is looking at him like, oh, well, you know, I would correct your game, but I don't want your daddy to yell at me. I don't want your daddy to come and scream at me like, come on, man. That's. This is just the price of success and fame. And if you think about this trade off, I don't even really even feel bad for Bronnie, okay? Because his life is amazing. He is one of the most privileged people ever. He's even in the NBA because of his remarkable privilege. And so if the worst thing you think your son has to deal with in life is a little bit of criticism, then you are way too privileged. LeBron James. I mean, like, there's like real life happening outside of the NBA. It's okay. He will survive. Stephen A. Smith criticizing him rightfully so this, if this is his cross to bear life, your father is so famous that people are noticing that you don't belong in the room that your father put you in. Yeah, I'd say that is. It's a pretty good life. So, LeBron, stop crying. Seriously, stop crying. And Bronnie, I hope you were able to get out of this situation in some regard and just know that I agree with everybody saying that the issue really is your father. It's not you. And you shouldn't allow this to make you think that you're not. That you don't have worth. Worth. You're just in the wrong room. And secondly, you shouldn't allow this to make you hate the game or dislike the game or want to run away from the game because you were good. You just didn't need daddy to give you a leg up in life. All right, guys, I want to throw it to our sponsors, Good ranchers because since 2017, over a hundred and forty 000 family farms in the U. S have shut down. 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Tax Network USA has a preferred direct line to the irs, which means they know exactly which agents to deal with and which to avoid with proven strategies to settle tax problems in your favor. Whether you owe 10,000 or 10 million. Tax Network USA's attorneys negotiators have already resolved over 1 billion in tax debt. Talk with one of their strategists because it's free. Call 1-800-958-1000 or visit tnusa.com candace Again, that's tnusa.com/candace. All right, speaking of not spiking your ball and going home, obviously I have endured and seen all of your tweets and your videos and the journalists and the reporters which are calling out this tweet that went out from Jeremy Bore, Spring performer, used to work for at the Daily Wire. So just to back this up, obviously I was promoting yesterday on the show for whatever this was, just obviously just the way it worked out. But I did Theo Vaughn's show, which was hilarious and very fun, and we showed you clips of that and it was like a three hour podcast and at the same time running parallel to that, Ian Carroll did Joe Rogan's podcast and people began connecting the dots here because obviously with absolutely no coordination at all between the parties, both of these podcasts were released within hours of each other. And a very small portion of my conversation was about Israel and I would say a larger portion, but again not the majority of the conversation was about Israel and our allegiance to Israel. And so some People who have an allegiance to Israel that are maybe disagree with that position or a point. We're not happy about these podcasts which were sort of dominating the conversation on X. And Jeremy Boring, the co CEO of the Daily Wire, tweeted this. Yesterday was a terrible day for American Jews. The embrace by so many prominent voices of demented, conspiratorial, anti Jewish voices is one of the saddest, most alarming events in my lifetime. But this way lies madness and worse than madness, do not let the times cost you your soul. Audience capture and unchecked tribalism are tools of the devil. Paranoia and revisionism are too, even if they really are out to get you. Heck, even a righteous cause can lead us to evil if we don't guard our hearts in the quest. The wicked often prosper and the temptation to prosper often tempts us to join them. But only God offers the richness of salvation. And he already became for us the only Jewish scapegoat for our sin and fear. Leave the rest of them alone. Okay, so you guys know my response to this. Look, I am a believer in free speech. I am a believer in the free markets. I'm going to consistently be a believer in the free markets and in free speech. And what I will say is that some people read that and it perhaps resonated with them and they want more of that content. And if you want more of that content, you should follow Jeremy boreing on X and follow him in other endeavors. You know, I think our conversations and again, I think it was rational to assume that these were about me and Ian. I loved the podcast on the other, on the other side of that, like my personal opinions. The podcast between Ian and Joe Rogan was super interesting and they both seemed really upbeat and happy and Joe Rogan seemed very excited. I finished it last night. It took me a couple of days to get through it, but he seemed really excited in a way that I haven't seen him in a while because they were just speaking about ideas. Even like just kind of like the permission to think and to know things and what books to read. And I was totally engaged. And I know that something like 1.5 million of you, maybe more today, that was yesterday. Watched me in Theoban's podcast and I just want to focus on what I am putting out there. That's what the free markets is, right? So love that for Jeremy, want you guys to follow Jeremy Boring for more of those considerations. And if you would rather, or at the same time, he doesn't even need to Be in either or. If you want to watch my stuff and Theo Vaughn stuff, I want you to be open to do that, too. I thought we had a really good time on Theo Vaughan's podcast, and I think Ian Carroll had a great time on Joe Rogan's podcast. And so, just to share another clip of the theoban podcast, because, again, I am about putting out there what I like and what I believe in. And I gotta tell you, sometimes McDonald's slaps. I love McDonald's. And I didn't realize how absolutely hilarious this clip was of the Avon until after the fact, because his brain works in very mysterious way. He just says a lot of stuff that's super funny. And one of the things was me asking him about what his order is at McDonald's. I wanted to know who he was, and here's how that went. Take a listen. What's your. I need to know what's your meal at McDonald's? I judge everybody by. This would be very careful.
Theo Von
Me, I do a double hamburger, which isn't on the menu, but you can get it.
Candace Owens
Yeah.
Theo Von
Pickles and ketchup.
Candace Owens
Do you add any Big Mac sauce to that?
Theo Von
No. I don't know who's making it back there. It depends if Big Mac himself is back there.
Candace Owens
Yeah, I'll take a couple. That's an okay order. I mean, it's not fun, but, like, it's okay.
Theo Von
Yeah, it's. It's kind of sad, though. But I'll tell you this. I used to get 2 milks with it.
Candace Owens
Milks?
Theo Von
Yeah.
Candace Owens
What, in the field?
Theo Von
Oh, hell, yeah. Boy.
Candace Owens
What? Two miles.
Theo Von
See me in the streets. You don't know me. I'm the ti. Mickey Diesel, baby. Look at that little milk jug right there. And that's what they used to call my sister. Little milk jug.
Candace Owens
He's the only person that's ever used to call my sister little milk. Joke like that.
Theo Von
She built like that. Click on the third one right there.
Candace Owens
Nobody in the history of McDonald's ever, never got the milk jug. But the ovon, they kept that on the menu for Theo Von.
Theo Von
You can't order more than two. That's the crazy thing.
Candace Owens
What?
Theo Von
Yeah, that's a lot.
Candace Owens
Because they only have, like, 10, because no one orders them. So if you order more than two, they've been sitting in the. Right.
Theo Von
I'm just saying we get it how we live.
Candace Owens
Wait, stop. A double cheeseburger with a double milk jug.
Theo Von
Oh, double milk, baby. Give me two of them. And the lady be like, you really want to? I'LL be like, yeah. And then we would laugh a little bit.
Candace Owens
I'd tipper, it still makes me laugh. There's so much that happened there. Why did they call his sister a little milk jug? Because he shaped like a little milk jug. That's the Yvonne for you guys. He's. I think he's just such a hilarious comedian and his brain works mysterious ways. Actually, my producer told me that there was a tweet on the Internet. I should credit the person. We should have pulled it. But they said, theo von utters at least one sentence a day that has never been uttered in human history. And I think that pretty much sums up the like, I probably McDonald's once a year traveling or something, but I would not order the milk jugs. And I find that to be more problematic than anything. And I think we got to get to the bottom of why he is ordering milk jugs at McDonald's. Anyways, you guys all love and I hope you guys enjoy that full episode. Moving on. Now, Blake Lively is going to have to her pound of flesh for a Simple favor too. And this is going to be very interesting to watch. I think already, obviously her. The PR team is trying to make it look like she's a victim and she's scared. Like, come on, dude, she's not terrified of anything. She popped up on an A list red carpet to an event that she was not required to be at in the form of the SNL 50th anniversary. And there's a bunch of celebs there and her husband told a joke. So this is kind of trying to make the public feel bad. Like, oh, my gosh, she now has anxiety about going out and the public. And like I said, sometimes your actions have to meet up with your consequences. They got to run into each other occasionally, right? And then you, you just introduce them and go, yeah, hey, we actually are kind of related. And so the Daily Mail is running this headline saying that she's terrified. She's absolutely terrified, you guys. Ahead of the Simple Favor premiere, the insiders, otherwise known as her PR firm, are, are wanting people to know that she's terrified. But what's interesting is thinking about how this is going to harm Anna Kendrick. That's her co star and a simple fav do. And essentially, and I've actually been reading this, Anna Kendrick is very upset with how this has been handled. Obviously, she knows it's going to impact the success of the movie, something that she doesn't deserve. And she basically is upset because Blake Lively apparently fought for Top billing in this film. And these are things that we don't even consider as the public. But even when you see a movie poster, that's, that's a fight between people of who's going to be on the movie poster, who's going to be presented as a star of this film, what level are they going to be on, how small is the picture going to be on? And now that we, we know that Blake Lively is quite aggressive in general during these movie negotiations, it was revealed that she was similarly aggressive about the Simple Favor too. And she wanted to be featured prominently. And I, I'm sure maybe she would have had a different opinion about that if she had known which way this Justin Baldoni suit was going to go in terms of the public. But she is indeed now due to. You want to be front facing, you have to be front facing and she is going to have to walk the red carpet. Now listen, I want to be clear. They're. They will prepare for that a million different ways. They will journalists what they can and cannot ask. Her PR firm will only walk her up to certain friendly journalists. So this apprehension is kind of, like I said, just trying to make people feel bad and like, I think it's kind of perfect karma that now there's this apparent friction between her and Anna Kendrick, like friction with. Real friction with her co star because she wanted Blake Lively to address her ongoing battle with Baldoni and she could have pulled out of his lawsuit a long time ago. They're already taking it way too far. They're obviously now is this big elephant that's in the room that no one wants to acknowledge and they're gonna walk this red carpet and not acknowledge it. Unless of course, Ryan Reynolds walks through red carpet with her and makes a couple of Ryan Reynolds jokes, a couple of Deadpool jokes in, in his perfect style. My guess is she's not going to bring him because he's almost more disliked than she is and that her promo game is just to pretend that she's really scared of the public. Now when she was the person who initially wanted all of this to be publicized because she was so confident in her power and her husband's came down to it ends with us. Speaking of which, a filing which the public is not reporting on just yet, it looks like Justin's team has responded now to Sloan pr. So Sloan pr, just to bring you up that chart again, is the PR firm that has been repping Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds for like a decade, which made those text messages that Ryan Reynolds sent so funny. Like, hey, it's Leslie. Leslie. Hey, Leslie. Don't worry, I won't do or say anything about Justin Baldoni. That's not what we want. We don't want any publicity. It was, like, so fake. To me. It looked totally like doctored messages ahead of them dropping the New York Times article so that they could say they had nothing to do with it. Obviously, it looks like they had plenty to do with it. And so anyways, the Sloan parties want out. And if you're paying attention to these legal arguments that are being made, they're essentially making this argument that, like, trade secrets could be exposed if they were superior. Peanut and Brian Friedman's team has been like, what? What trade secrets are you so concerned are going to be exposed? Like the trade secret that you helped plant an article in the New York Times and it was nasty. Is it going to be like trade secrets of text messages between you and Blake and speaking about Taylor Swift and laughing like, what are we going to see that are the trade secrets that are going to be exposed? So they have been trying to quietly exit this lawsuit by basically saying, we're not needed here. We're just the PR firm. And it's like, actually, this entire lawsuit, as Judge Lehman accurately point out, yester comes down to pr, like, you're not getting out of this lawsuit. I'm saying this obviously with absolutely no authority, but like I said, judging on his statements yesterday, Judge Lehman saying that this is coming down to PR people, I highly doubt that they are going to allow them to wiggle their way out of this. Nor should they. And so in their response to Leslie saying, we want to be dropped from this because we're women, she's making these weird feminist, weak arguments. Wayfarer parties wrote this. They wrote the conspirators referring to, to first aim to win plaintiff Blake Lively total control over the film. So she's like, Leslie Sloan. You are implicated in trying to get her the control that she wanted over the film. It ends with us, by means of extortionate threats, to go public with her baseless claims of sexual harassment. That effort wholly succeeded. Having seized complete creative control over the film and its marketing, Lively had only herself and her publicist Leslie Sloan and Sloan's company, Vision PR Incorporated, to blame when disastrously tone deaf marketing efforts for the film plowed her public reputation straight into the ground. A desperate effort to salvage Lively's reputation and to escape her wrath, the Sloan parties conspired with Lively and Consolidated defendants Ryan Reynolds and the New York Times Company to make SCAPEGOATS of the Wayfarer parties for Lively's woes on information and belief. The Sloan parties worked for months to drop breadcrumbs and hints of sinister allegations to the public while secretly feeding defamatory falsehoods to any reporter who would listen, including Megan Tuohy of the New York Times. As a direct result of the actions of the Sloan parties and their co conspirators, the Wayfarer parties have been damaged beyond measure. Reputations are destroyed, their businesses lie in tatters, and their own film was taken from them. These are the facts underpinning the Wayfarer party's allegations against the Sloan parties, and this is what the evidence will prove at trial. The motion should therefore be denied in its entirety. Or in the alternative, the court should grant the Wayfarer parties leave to amend their First Amendment complaint and allow them to move forward with holding the Sloan parties to account for their part in Lively's malicious and calculated scheme. I mean, it's so well said, it would. It would be insane to let them out of this lawsuit. And they are correct. There were all these breadcrumbs first. That's how the public even found out that there was drama. And Leslie Sloan has very strong connections at tmz, at Page Six, and she basically planted all of these ideas. I'm. That's what it looks like to me, that people didn't like him on sets, and there was a reason that everybody had mass unfollowed him in the Taylor Swift move, and that there were allegations of HR complaints. All of that was happening leading up to it. And there's no way that Blake Lively was communicating directly with these journalists. That's the reason that you have a PR firm in the first place. And so that filing is happening. I think Brian Friedman's team has made a very strong argument for why they shouldn't be dropped. But we will continue to monitor all of that. All right, you guys just want to remind you about seven weeks Coffee, because you drink coffee, so why not do a good thing while you drink it? They are America's pro Life coffee company on a mission to fund the pro Life movement. One cup of coffee at a time. They're called seven weeks coffee because at seven weeks, a baby is the size of a coffee bean. And it's the same time a heartbeat is clearly detected on an ultrasound. That's why they donate 10 of every sale to support pregnancy care centers across the country. They have raised over $800,000 for these centers and have saved thousands of lives. Now, let me tell you about the coffee because it's very good. I'm picky about what I put into my body, especially right now, being pregnant. Their coffee is mold free, pesticide free, shade grown and low acid. And it's organically farmed, so it truly checks all the boxes. And right now, when you subscribe to seven Weeks Coffee, you'll receive a free limited edition Lent tote designed to be a daily reminder to pray, Fast, and drink 7 Weeks Coffee during this Lenten season. So go to 7 Weeks Coffee.com and save 15% forever when you subscribe. Plus exclusively for my listeners. If you use code Candice at checkout, you'll get an extra 10% off your first order. That is a 25% total savings on your first order plus your free gift. So visit 7weeks Coffee.com and use promo code Candice. Sorry I said 7 so loud. I don't know. My voice just went very loud at that moment. Speaking of Lent, what did you guys give up for Lent? I gave up processed sugar and bread for the Catholics out there. And also I am giving up my phone on Saturday evenings until Sunday. It's like my very own Shabbat because I think that's healthy. I think it's good to just kind of zone out for a little bit. And that's something that I'm giving up that will actually add value to my life. And it's good. It's good to do these sorts of things. And it was really hard for me to fast on Lent, but I did it. I was very proud of myself, like trying to get a pregnant person to fast. It was just a lot. Anyways, let's get into some of your comments. What do you guys have? For me? Intelligent observer writes, I love how LeBron is worshiped like a God, but Catholics are demonized for venerating Saints. Only a matter of time until his many NDAs come to light and we see how much of a saint he really is. You know, my commentary on LeBron James is my same on, is the same on Taylor Swift and the same on all of these people who find fame really young. LeBron James obviously remarkably talented. You can, you know, hate the player, but you can't hate the game. Or in this circumstance, I guess I'm saying you can, you can hate the game, but you, you can't hate the player. LeBron James is an excellent player, but I think he also suffers from arrested development. Like he was literally taken out of height school and turned into a star and everyone started calling him the King, like that can't be good. You don't want to just be, like, called the king from the time of. You're 18 years old. And I think it's gone a little bit to his head. He's a little gassed on that. I mean, even making those statements of like, this is what I'm gonna do and I'm gonna play with my son no matter what. That's quite monarchy, you know what I mean? Like, he's like, I have full power here. I am a monarch, and I will get whatever it is that I want. And he kind of forced this thing, and now he wants to back out and pretend that he didn't do that. But like I said, can go through them. This is. This is what he said. This is what he did. You can hate me for telling you that, but that's what happens when you just have too much power. You need people to tell you no. It is so important in life for people to tell you no. That's why I say having toddlers is such a humbling experience, right? Because they're just so honest all the time and they don't really. They have no idea what I do for a living. They don't care about anything. And you. It's the only way that I think someone of his first off, I would say, like, his physical prowess, his success, his financial prowess is going to be brought back down Earth. This with people saying, you know what the Lakers should have said, it's been great. It's been a great ride. LeBron James, we love you, but I'm not just going to offer your son a deal or else you're not going to play with us. That's just really bratty. They would have never said that to him because he's LeBron James and they want to make money. All right, Sarah writes, can you shout me out, please? I delivered my. No, you didn't. Oh, I read this comment. She said, I delivered my 40th baby today. And I was like, why are you lying, Sarah? But then I read the second part. I'm now a qualified midwife. Yes, you did deliver your 40th baby today, and congratulations. Dreams are lies. Writes, because you're so awesome. And in case you need bodyguards, thank you so much for that donation. Anonymous writes, handing out opportunities just for DEI without considering merits or qualifications undermines individuals with appropriate qualifications, especially regarding promotions. Opportunities should provide financial support to students in academia who test well with their peers. However, placing students without the academic grades just to fill those statistics does not help them. Yes, it does not Help them. They are not set up for success by being placed in a position without the qualifications. Yes. And if those of you guys are interested, if that's the first time you've ever heard the argument about affirmative action, you should really read Clarence Thomas. You should read his dissents. He has been working hard to get affirmative action overturned for this reason. It's not. He's not saying black people don't deserve anything. He is saying, you're harming these students who are plenty capable themselves and sometimes are so great and would be at the top of their classes somewhere else. Stop forcing them where they don't belong. Like Bronnie, maybe he just belongs in the G League. And like I said, he's, I think, the number four scorer on his G League team, which is great. Competing amongst his peers, that is. The whole point is like, do not deflate their sense of self, their sense of worth, for no reason. When they aren't bad, they. He's not bad. He's just doesn't belong playing alongside his father just because of his father's ego. So I hope that makes sense and I hope, genuinely hope that Bronnie takes that and that his dad never does that crass thing again of. I mean, he couldn't. He could have done that privately. He could have been like, can somebody bring him to the locker room? But it's almost like he wanted to do that. Like, he's, like I said, he's just high in his own supply and he just wanted to go up to him and say something publicly. And no one can done LeBron James. And like I said, that's only going to hurt his son more. His son is going to look absolutely ridiculous in the. At the end of that. Nicole writes, loved the Theo interview. So good. Have a great weekend. Yes. I should actually check and see how many of you guys watch that, because I forgot to check today. But I was grateful because I had such a fun time. And it was, like I said, the Avon is very funny. And if you like it, you like it. If you don't, you don't. Like I said, that's how the free markets works. I'm not going to spike my ball and go home. People are allowed to criticize me. People can say things about me. And I just have to accept that if one day, if I'm in the podcast big leagues, and if one day people don't want that anymore because they don't like what I'm offering, then that that's my own fault, you know, and so I appreciate we've already had such an amazing year and we really are having so much fun and so we will end that there. Reminding you guys, if you want to go to cannestones.com and support independent journalism, you can get my book. It's available for pre sale. Make them a sandwich. Gems in here. Gems. You will love this as I break down the feminist movement and everything that is wrong with it because we've been sold a bill of lies. And it's you got to go back to the history. You got to go back to the beginning to realize how we got here, how we started with what we were told was a movement that was designed to empower women. Too many women being miserable, you know, working jobs that don't fulfill them, but feeling that pressure to be to keep working it because you have to compete with men. We should talk about all that. And we do that in the book. So if you go to candaceones.com also you can sign up for our book club. We are still reading. I think next week we meet again. And guess what, guys, the live chat is going to be ready for my book club people. We are still reading Chaos. It's amazing. I love it. This is, I think, also, by the way, that is what Joe Rogan and Ian Carroll spoke about because Tom O'Neal was on Joe Rogan's podcast. That book is incredible. Incredible. It will totally blow your mind about everything. So even if you don't join the book club and don't want to speak about the book with me, you should read it because it's great. But only read it after you read my book, which is available for pre sale. So me first, Tom O'Neill. Tom O'Neill is doing way too great right now. And what else do we have going on on the website? But yeah, the live chat is going to be ready, which makes me so excited because I felt like we needed that and we're just going to keep making the book club bigger and greater. And it's already big, which is incredible. I never expected so many people to sign up right away, but I love it. And then you guys see in the comments here asking when is the Harvey stuff coming back on the show? I am sorry to have kept you waiting that long. I. It takes so much time to read through these transcripts. And literally last night my baby boy got sick. Vomited everywhere. They picked up a bug. You know, they have these like indoor play stuff things in Tennessee and they're just grimy at the end of the day. And my son first, my older son was sick and then my youngest son, who's just a year, and, gosh, how old? Gosh, I was like, a year and four months. Crazy. Time really flies. He. He got sick, honestly. And then he got sick this morning. If literally two hours before we went live. Guys, I had vomit on my sweater like I was Eminem. Like it was mom spaghetti. It was crazy. But it wasn't Mom's spaghetti. It was baby's vomit. So it's just kind of the price of being a mom. You just got to go, okay? Everything's got to stop for a little bit. We'll kick it to next week, but I promise you on Monday, barring anything crazy that happens over the weekend, I will have the time to go through the transcript. We are moving on to Jessica, man, who is the second person. She put Harvey in jail for three years, and it's crazy. It just gets. Every story just gets crazier and crazier. And I maintain my position that Harvey Weinstein was wrongly convicted as an act of social justice for the MeToo movement, not an act of true justice, which is what we fight for here on the show. All right, guys, we will see you on Monday.
Podcast Summary: Candace Ep 156 – "LeBron James ATTACKS Stephen A. Smith"
Host: Candace Owens
Release Date: March 7, 2025
In Episode 156 of her podcast, titled "LeBron James ATTACKS Stephen A. Smith," Candace Owens delves into the controversial dynamics surrounding LeBron James and his son Bronnie's entry into the NBA. Owens critically examines allegations of nepotism, the ensuing backlash from sports commentator Stephen A. Smith, and the broader implications of such high-profile familial relationships in professional sports.
[00:00]
Candace Owens opens the episode by addressing the recent turmoil involving LeBron James and his son Bronnie James Jr. She asserts that Bronnie's entry into the NBA is a clear case of nepotism, suggesting that his performance does not justify his position at the professional level.
"All right, guys, It's Friday, and LeBron James appears to have officially lost the thread. He doesn't want people to notice that his son is not performing well at the NBA level..." [00:00]
Owens highlights that Bronnie's basketball performance was subpar even before joining the NBA, citing his high school average of 14 points per game compared to LeBron's stellar 31.6 points per game. She emphasizes that, unlike legendary players who dominated high school to transition seamlessly into the NBA, Bronnie's stats do not support an effortless leap to the professional level.
[10:25]
Candace shifts focus to Stephen A. Smith, a prominent sports commentator who openly criticized Bronnie's performance. Smith acknowledged Bronnie's potential but argued that his current NBA statistics were underwhelming.
"LeBron is the basketball savant. LeBron is one of the top two greatest players in the history of the game... Bronnie James has played in 13 NBA games, averaging 0.3 points, 0.3 assists, and 0.4 rebounds." [10:25]
In response to Smith's criticism, LeBron James allegedly confronted him during a Lakers game. Owens describes this altercation as an attempt by LeBron to silence legitimate critique of his son, framing it as an act of an overbearing father unwilling to let his son develop independently.
"LeBron James decided to thug Stephen A. Smith on the court side of a Lakers game... he told him, 'keep my son out of this ish, bro.'" [10:25]
[12:53]
Owens draws parallels between nepotism in sports and affirmative action in academia, arguing that forced placements can lead to underperformance and personal struggles. Referencing Shelby Steele’s work, she contends that when individuals are placed in positions without merit, it undermines their confidence and sets them up for failure.
"When you give people opportunities or put them into circumstances that they haven't actually earned... it can be disastrous." [12:53]
She asserts that Bronnie is suffering not due to a lack of talent but because he was thrust into the NBA primarily because of his father's influence. This situation, according to Owens, creates an environment where Bronnie cannot develop organically within the sport, leading to poor performance and personal distress.
Throughout the episode, Owens references emails and social media reactions from her audience on platforms like X (formerly Twitter). She acknowledges the outcry against Jeremy Boreing, co-CEO of The Daily Wire, relating to tweets perceived as targeting her and other personalities.
"I have seen your emails and your tags on X regarding the Daily Wire co-CEO Jeremy Boring's tweet..." [00:00]
Owens uses these interactions to further discuss themes of free speech, accountability, and the consequences of leveraging influence without merit.
[05:00 - 12:53]
Beyond the main topic, Owens shares personal anecdotes about parenting, emphasizing the importance of not projecting one's ambitions onto children. She warns against being the overly critical parent present at youth sports events, drawing parallels to LeBron's approach with Bronnie.
"Greatness cannot necessarily be transferred. Everybody is different. And what people want and desire out of life is Very different." [06:30]
Owens advocates for allowing children to find their own paths without undue pressure, highlighting her personal experiences with her children engaging in activities like T-ball.
[20:00 - 25:00]
Candace Owens scrutinizes LeBron James' motivations, suggesting that his primary desire to play alongside his son overshadowed the practical considerations of team dynamics and basketball performance. She critiques the Los Angeles Lakers for prioritizing the sentimental value of a father-son duo over the team's competitive success.
"They wanted the story. They didn't care about the practicality, the potential movies that would be written... They wanted the feelings." [20:00]
Owens argues that this emotional decision has backfired, placing Bronnie in a position where he is subject to intense scrutiny and criticism, which could be detrimental to his career and personal well-being.
[25:00 - 28:57]
Drawing on Shelby Steele’s arguments against affirmative action, Owens contends that placing individuals in roles they are not equipped for leads to systemic failures and personal disillusionment. She parallels Bronnie's NBA journey with students placed in elite institutions without adequate support, resulting in high failure rates.
"Affirmative action doesn't work... when you force someone into a position that they haven't actually earned and you artificially place them into places that they don't belong." [25:00]
Owens stresses the importance of meritocracy, advocating for opportunities based on individual qualifications and competencies rather than external factors like familial connections or demographic quotas.
[28:00 - 30:03]
In concluding her analysis, Owens reflects on the broader implications of fame and parental influence in shaping an individual's career. She underscores the necessity for public figures to allow their children to establish their identities and careers independently, free from the burdens of legacy and expectation.
"You you've given your son this circumstance... he is going to look absolutely ridiculous in the end of that." [28:00]
Owens calls for accountability, urging LeBron James to recognize the adverse effects of his actions on Bronnie and to foster an environment where his son can thrive based on his own merits.
Towards the end of the episode, Owens engages with her audience by addressing comments and questions, reinforcing her viewpoints on meritocracy, affirmative action, and the consequences of nepotism. She emphasizes the importance of open criticism and the role of free markets in ensuring accountability.
"People can say things about me. And I just have to accept that if one day, if I'm in the podcast big leagues, and if one day people don't want that anymore because they don't like what I'm offering, then that's my own fault." [25:00]
Candace Owens' Episode 156 provides a critical examination of the interplay between fame, nepotism, and meritocracy in professional sports. By dissecting the actions of LeBron James and their repercussions on his son Bronnie's career, Owens challenges listeners to consider the broader implications of favoritism and the erosion of merit-based opportunities. The episode serves as a platform for Owens to advocate for personal accountability, the importance of earning one’s place, and the potential pitfalls of leveraging familial connections in high-stakes environments.
Note: This summary excludes promotional segments and advertisements featured in the latter part of the transcript, focusing solely on the episode's core discussions.