Stephen A. Smith has spoken at length about LeBron James publicly confronting him during a game earlier this month, and the Los Angeles Lakers star has finally addressed the incident.
A video that went viral showed LeBron scolding Smith about something during a timeout in the Lakers’ home game against the New York Knicks on March 6. It quickly became obvious that James was confronting Smith over the ESPN analyst’s coverage of LeBron’s son Bronny James.
Smith said he was blindsided but that he understood where LeBron was coming from as a father. James was asked about the exchange during a Wednesday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” The four-time NBA champion first mocked Smith for claiming the analyst did not want the video of LeBron confronting him to surface.
“He’s like on a Taylor Swift tour run right now. It started off with, ‘I didn’t want to address it. I wasn’t gonna address it, but since the video came out I feel the need to address it.’ Motherf–er, are you kidding me?” LeBron said. “If there’s one person that couldn’t wait for the video to drop so you can address it, it’s your a–.”
James then said Smith “completely missed the whole point” of why LeBron was angry. Though, LeBron essentially confirmed what we already knew.
“Never would I ever not allow people to talk about the sport and criticize players about what they do on the court,” James added. “That is your job, to criticize or to be in a position where, okay, if a guy’s not performing, that is all part of the game. But when you take it and get personal with it, it’s my job to, not only protect my damn household, but protect the players.”
“Stephen A Smith is on a Taylor Swift tour run right now 😂😂
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 26, 2025
He completely missed the whole point..
He got personal with it and it’s my job to not only protect my own household but also all the players” @KingJames #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/LKKFmvtFWM
Smith has been critical of LeBron for putting Bronny in a difficult situation with the Lakers. Like many others, Smith feels Bronny should be a full-time G League player and is not ready for the NBA. While Bronny has played much better as of late, he has still averaged just 2.3 points and shot 32.7% from the field in his 23 NBA appearances this season.
Bronny has only gotten NBA minutes because LeBron is his father. The situation is unlike any other since a father and son are on the same team. That is why Smith and others have covered it differently, and rightfully so. James should understand that all of that goes with the territory.
