Featured Image Credit: X/@legendofwinning & ESPN
Topics: Stephen A Smith, Lebron James, NBA, LA Lakers
Josh Lawless
Topics: Stephen A Smith, Lebron James, NBA, LA Lakers
Stephen A. Smith has broken his silence after footage of a heated exchange he had with LeBron James emerged online.
Four-time NBA champion James was in action on Thursday night as the LA Lakers beat New York Knicks 113-109 at the Crypto.com Arena, scoring 31 points in the contest.
But the main talking point after the game was James clashing with the ESPN First Take host, with the footage from the sidelines widely circulating on social media and accruing millions of views online.
Fans speculated that James was referring to his son and Lakers teammate Bronny, believing he told Smith, 'Keep my son out of this s***'." Smith had previously claimed that "Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad".
Smith, who claimed he could score a basket on the former Miami Heat star, had earlier responded to James after he called out the media for 's***ing' on the game, believing he was one of the intended targets in the rant.
"That's some B.S. I'm gonna call it like I see it, this is straight B.S. I don't appreciate what he said.
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"We know he talking about people like me. D--- it I'm going to say it, I'm going to be cocky enough to say I'm one of the people he alluded to. That's nonsense! I challenge anybody to show somebody who loves the NBA and supports the NBA more than me."
And after the video did the rounds, he said that he would addressing exactly what went down between the pair on his next show.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Smith wrote: "I didn’t want to have to address this. I wouldn’t have, either, had it not gone viral. Now I have no choice."
Speaking on First Take, he said: "That was LeBron James coming up to me, unexpectedly I might add - to confront me about making sure that I mind what I say about his son.
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"I can't repeat the words because they ain't suited for the airwaves. That's what he was doing.
"I thought long and hard about this over the last few hours because I had no intention of talking about this at all and the reason why is because it was a one-on-one confrontation but then I wake up and everybody from ESPN and my agent, were sending me that this thing had gone viral.
"And so ultimately it was unavoidable and that is why I have to discuss it now. That wasn't a basketball player confronting me, that was a parent, that was a father.
"I can't sit here and be angry or feel slighted by LeBron James in any way in that regard. By all counts he's obviously a wonderful family man and a beautiful father he cares deeply about his son.
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"Based on some of the comments that he had heard, or shall I say I think he thought he heard, he clearly took exception and he confronted me about it."
"For the record, his agent Rich Paul has my number, Maverick Carter who works with him has my number. LeBron James knows how to get in contact with me if he wanted to.
"He never called. Because had he talked to me I would have accepted that call. Had he wanted to see me I would have flown out to him and had a conversation man to man.
"But that is not what he elected to do. Instead he elected to confront me while I was sitting courtside with Ari Emanuel of Endeavour, one of the agencies which represents me, Larry David - I was with them for the game.
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"He walked right up to me and he said what he had to say because he feels like I was slighting his son.
"What I would have said if we were in a different environment, because I was not willing to engage in a confrontation in that particular moment and particular setting - I would have said to LeBron James, 'I would never speak negatively about your son, I was talking about you'.
"I have nothing but the best wishes for Bronny James and hope he flourishes into an NBA star. By all accounts he's a wonderful kid."