Stephen A Smith is no stranger to controversy. Part of the reason he's become a legendary voice in sports journalism is because he's willing to bump heads with the players. None of Smith's interactions has gotten more attention, however, than his recent tussle with LeBron James. The Lakers superstar confronted Stephen A Smith on the court during a game, and got in his face. Smith was initially lax on James, but the more he's talked about it, the more critical he's become. He really let the King have it during his recent appearance on the Gil's Arena podcast.
Stephen A Smith was asked how he felt about LeBron James' antics, and he didn't mince words. He described them as "weak," and felt the superstar should have handled it much differently. "I thought it was weak. I thought it was some bullsh*t," he conceded. Smith went into detail on the situation, and his effort to redirect James anger. "I said 'Yo, let's talk later,'" he recalled. "[LeBron was] like, 'F*ck that you gotta stop f*cking with my son!.' I said alright, and he walked off." Stephen A Smith also told the pod host that he did not intend to talk about the confrontation, but footage of James yelling at him went viral on social media.
Stephen A Smith LeBron James Beef
"Once the sh*t had gone viral," he revealed. "The bosses at ESPN [said], 'You got to talk about it. This is you and him.'" Stephen A Smith spent most of his ESPN segment establishing sympathy for James as a father. The gloves were off during the Gil's Arena podcast, however, and he admitted that he felt the NBA icon was being sensitive. Smith restated that he was not targeting Bronny James but rather LeBron as a parent. He had no issue with James, Jr. and every issue with James, Sr. and felt the latter failed to see his point. "You marketed yourself as his dad to help him get in the league," Smith fired off.
Stephen A Smith told the podcast panel that he did not regret anything he said about LeBron James. He also doubled down on the criticisms he has for James, as both a father and a member of the Lakers as an organization. "You're putting [Bronny] under such a microscope," Smith lamented. "It's gon be too much for him to overcome. Give him a chance." There's definitely going to be more to this rivalry in the future.
