LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith created a buzz on TV and social media after the Los Angeles Lakers superstar publicly confronted the ESPN personality during a game against the New York Knicks Thursday night.
Smith addressed the issue Friday during the hit show “First Take” and on his podcast, calling James “fiery” after the NBA All-Star told the analyst to “stop f-ing with my son. That’s my f-ing son. Stop f-ing with my son.
Stephen A. said that he responded by saying, “what?” but LeBron continued: “Nah, nah, nah, nah. Straight up. Man to man. Real talk. Stop f-ing with my son.” Smith offered to continue the conversation later, but James wanted no part of it and he walked away from the man.
New footage shows how desperate LeBron was
A new video online shows just how eager LeBron James was to confront Stephen A. Smith on public -specifically in Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Knicks, a team Smith roots for -, with the Lakers superstar willing to leave a team huddle to talk to the TV personality.
On the video we can see LeBron leaving the huddle before the end of the fourth quarter and walking towards Smith, who was sitting courtside. As soon as James is close to the TV personality, he starts confronting him, as Stephen A. reacts with a surprised face. “I don’t care bro… keep my son out of this sh*t.” the Lakers superstar stated.
“That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me. That was a parent. That was a father. And I can’t sit here and be angry, or feel slighted by LeBron James and any way in that regard. By all accounts, he’s obviously a wonderful family man and a wonderful father who cares very, very deeply about his son.” said Stephen A. on “First Take.”
The words that sparked the confrontation
NBA fans and analysts believe that some of the words Stephen A. Smith used during a January show of “First Take” could be the reason why LeBron James confronted him Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Early this year, Smith urged James to “stop this,” referring to Bronny James‘ need for more development time in the G League.
“We love what we’re seeing from [Bronny] in the G League, because that’s where you belong, as you hone your skills and you get better and you legitimately earn, which I believe he has the potential to do,” Smith said. “I am rooting for Bronny James … he’s a wonderful kid, I wish him nothing but the best.”
LeBron James‘ oldest son made his NBA debut in the Lakers season opener back on October 2024 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, after signing a multi-year contract with the Los Angeles team. He averages 1.4 points, 0.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. He’s viewed as a gritty player that could become a great sixth-man in the league.
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