Tensions between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith reached a boiling point on Thursday night as the Lakers extended their winning streak to eight games with a dramatic 113-109 overtime victory over the New York Knicks.
Despite James leading the charge with 31 points, the real buzz came before tip-off when he was spotted confronting Smith courtside at Crypto.com Arena.
James, visibly frustrated, took issue with Smith‘s past comments regarding his son, Bronny James, a Lakers rookie whose place in the NBA has been widely debated.
Smith had previously stated on First Take, “We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad.” Now, Smith is speaking out about the incident, making it clear that he wasn’t pleased with how LeBron handled the situation.
Smith Calls Out LeBron for Public Confrontation
Addressing the confrontation on First Take the next morning, Smith acknowledged James‘ frustration but criticized the Lakers star for choosing to settle the matter publicly rather than privately.
“Clearly, he took exception to some of the things I said and confronted me about it,” Smith explained. “But for the record, his agent, Rich Paul, has my number. Maverick Carter has my number. And LeBron himself knows how to reach me.”
Smith insisted that if James had simply called him, he would have been open to a conversation. “Had he wanted to see me, I would have flown out and had a conversation man-to-man. But that is not what he elected to do.”
Defending His Comments on Bronny James
Smith also pushed back against claims that he had spoken negatively about Bronny James, asserting that his critiques were aimed at LeBron, not his son.
“I would never speak negatively about your son. I was talking to you, LeBron James,” Smith emphasized. “The position that Bronny was put in? That was because of his dad. That’s what I was commenting on.”
However, Smith‘s defense contradicts his own previous remarks, where he bluntly said Bronny‘s NBA opportunity was only possible because of his father. Nonetheless, he maintained that James should have approached him privately rather than calling him out at a nationally televised game.
“If he wanted to have a conversation, he could have been just as upset face-to-face, man-to-man, instead of courtside at a game,” Smith concluded.
With neither side backing down, the drama between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith seems far from over.
As the NBA season rolls on, all eyes will be on whether their feud escalates further-or if they finally settle it behind closed doors.
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