Stephen A. Smith discloses explicit message from Lakers’ LeBron James during heated confrontation
Many speculated why Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James confronted ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith after Thursday night’s 113-109 overtime win against the New York Knicks, but the reason was quickly revealed. During ESPN’s First Take, Smith shared that LeBron confronted him over comments about his son, Bronny James, a Lakers rookie. On national television, Stephen A. urged LeBron to stop pretending, claiming Bronny wasn’t “NBA-ready.”
James approached Smith following the game. However, Smith clarified that while LeBron was visibly upset, he did not insult him, despite circulating rumors, according to The Stephen A. Smith Show.
“Let me clear up some false reports,” Smith said. “People claimed LeBron called me out of my name—called me a b**** or a punk. None of that happened. He was fired up, but he came to me during the game and said, ‘Stop f****** with my son. That’s my f****** son. Stop f****** with my son.’”
“I asked, ‘What?’ He responded, ‘Straight up, man-to-man. Real talk. Stop f****** with my son,’ and I saw how angry he was,” Smith added.
When Smith suggested they speak privately, LeBron refused and walked away. Smith is not the only NBA analyst to question Bronny’s skills, but he is one of the most high-profile critics, pointing to nepotism as a key factor behind Bronny’s NBA opportunity.
Stephen A. Smith addressed whether to discuss the confrontation with LeBron James on ESPN. However, after footage of the exchange went viral, he felt compelled to share his perspective, according to ESPN’s First Take.
“I debated whether to speak about this because I had no plans to address it,” Smith said. “It was a private confrontation. But when I woke up to messages from ESPN, my agent, and others saying it went viral, I had no choice but to discuss it.”
LeBron James has not commented on the situation.
Josue Pavon serves as an Associate Editor and Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He began covering the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com and later became an NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media, where he co-hosts the Cedric Maxwell Podcast.
