The tension between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith has been simmering all month, and it’s turned into one of the NBA’s juiciest off-court storylines. It all started when Smith, the outspoken ESPN personality, went after LeBron’s son, Bronny, saying he wasn’t ready for the NBA. Sure, Bronny’s still honing his game, but Smith airing that take on a national stage rubbed LeBron the wrong way. Things got real after a Lakers-Celtics game in Los Angeles, when LeBron marched up to Smith and told him to leave his kid alone.
Never one to back down, Smith turned the moment into his signature brand of drama, telling his audience, “It wasn’t a basketball star confronting me. It was a father.” Fast forward to LeBron’s sit-down with Pat McAfee – dubbed the “LeBronversation” – where he cleared the air on a number of topics. He took a jab at Smith, saying he’s “out there on a Taylor Swift tour right now,” before getting serious: “When it gets personal, my job is to protect my damn family and stand up for the players.”
Stephen A. Claps Back
Smith wasn’t about to let LeBron’s comments go without a fight. On a new episode of his podcast, he came out swinging, branding LeBron “full of it” and an outright “liar.” The ESPN loudmouth kept the heat on the Lakers superstar after his McAfee appearance, unloading a tirade that was pure Stephen A. He even floated a crazy what-if: If LeBron had gotten physical during their Lakers game run-in, Smith claimed, “I would’ve swung on him immediately.“
Picture the showdown – Smith, all bluster, vs. LeBron, who looks like he was built in a science lab. “If that guy laid a hand on me, I would have swung right back. In a second,” Smith declared, even as he admitted the obvious: He would have been toast in that fight. Looks like both guys emptied their tanks on this one, but both demonstrate that they will defend their word against the other’s.
LeBron’s Got Bigger Fish to Fry
At this point, LeBron should be putting this whole mess in the rearview mirror-and his heroics against the Pacers are proof that he’s got his eye on the prize. The Lakers, mired in a three-game skid, turned it around with a gutsy win over Indiana, which was riding a five-game hot streak. LeBron’s clutch bucket sealed the deal, a neon sign that he’s dialed in when it counts.
With the Western Conference standings tighter than a rush-hour subway, he’ll need to keep the team sharp for the postseason push. There is no room for petty feuds. Meanwhile, Smith owned up to X, admitting that he would have been “absolutely flattened” by the “6’8”, 250-pound goliath” that is LeBron. Both have had their time to let it go.
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