With the level of fame the James family has, you’d think they’d be used to all the negative comments, criticisms, and outside noise by now, right? Not exactly. At the end of the day, they’re still a family, and when those attacks are aimed at their kids, it’s natural for them to feel protective. For Savannah James, that means stepping into her “Mama bear” role.
Though Savannah may have initially felt uncomfortable with the spotlight, she’s never hesitated to confront anyone who insults her children—even if it’s “with a baby on my hip,” as she shares in the first episode of Season Three of Everybody’s Crazy.
In this episode, Savannah and her co-host, April McDaniels, listen to a voicemail from a caller asking how they handle negativity at their kids’ games. Savannah recalls a particularly intense moment at one of Bronny’s games: “Long story short, I had the baby on my hip, ready to confront a man who was flipping Bronny off during the game,” she explains. Determined to address the disrespect, she recalls marching up the bleachers with little Zhuri and confronting the man directly: “So, you’re flicking my son off? That’s what we’re doing now?” The man tried to brush it off, claiming he was flipping off his own son, a confusing excuse that left Savannah baffled.
Understandably, Savannah found his behavior odd—it’s unusual to flip off anyone, let alone one’s own child, at a public game. Still, she has learned that some people’s behavior is inexplicable.
To cope with negativity at her children’s games, Savannah has developed her own approach. Fame is a double-edged sword: while it offers advantages, it also brings challenges, especially when she attends her kids’ games. She describes feeling like there’s “a target on our back” every time she enters the stands. Though it would be tempting to respond like Sonya Curry and confront every critic, Savannah has found a different way to handle it.
“I try to stay away. Not from the game, but from the people, so I don’t hear the banter,” she says on the podcast. Deep down, Savannah is a mom, and there’s only so much criticism she can tolerate—especially from strangers who judge her kids based on limited information.
In addition to distancing herself from negativity, she’s learned breathing techniques to calm herself and avoid lashing out. This protective instinct shows just how challenging it can be to balance public scrutiny with creating a normal environment for her children.
