Stephen A. Smith believes that LeBron James has it out for him, and the longtime ESPN analyst says the infamous confrontation he had with LeBron earlier this year was evidence of that.
During an interview with Carmelo Anthony’s “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast that was released on Monday, Smith once again spoke about the incident where James confronted Smith while Smith was sitting courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game back in March. Smith said he is convinced that LeBron has long held a personal grudge against him and has tried to derail the 58-year-old’s career.
“The day that he rolled up on me courtside is the day my contract was announced, that I had stayed with ESPN. Go back and look at the camera angles,” Smith said. “I arrived at the end of the first quarter. He rolled up on me in the third quarter. This is 2025. We got technology everywhere. TNT is a nationally televised game. How is it we got one angle and the only angle you see was of him and his face, but you see the back of my peanut head?”
Smith was then asked if he felt he was set up by James, with LeBron planning to confront Smith and having someone film the interaction from the stands.
“Damn right I did. That’s how I feel, but no big deal, no problem,” Smith said. “I go on the air the next day and I’m like, ‘That’s a dad reacting to his son.’ Happens on a Thursday, that’s a Friday. That Saturday, Richard Jefferson is doing the game in Boston. He’s still mic’ed. He’s working for ESPN, and we see LeBron say to him, ‘Yo man, when he said as a father, I had it.’ So I’m thinking, oh that’s not about Bronny, that’s about you.”
Stephen A. just absolutely went off on LeBron. Enjoy: pic.twitter.com/J23zygARB5
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 20, 2025
Smith went on to say that he has never been more angry than when James went on “The Pat McAfee Show,” which is an ESPN program, and accused Smith of going after LeBron’s family. Smith had been critical of LeBron and the Lakers for putting LeBron’s son Bronny in a difficult situation, but Smith says he was simply doing his job by covering the situation.
It is clear that Smith is more than happy to keep his feud with LeBron in the spotlight, and you can understand why. Smith knows the beef is good for ratings. Though, the disdain between him and LeBron at least seems authentic at this point.
