Stephen A. Smith is not letting up on LeBron James following their viral one-on-one confrontation at the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks game on March 6. The sports commentator was seated courtside when he was approached by the four-time NBA champion during a timeout.
The tense moment was captured on video and quickly went viral. Those who watched the video saw an obviously upset James give the journalist a piece of his mind. From the fan’s perspective, who recorded the order from a seat several rows up in the stands, James towered over Smith, who was also standing but only shown from the back.
Lip readers believe the basketball icon said, “Keep my son out of this s—t,” in reference to the commentator’s remarks regarding Bronny James’ struggles to gain his footing in professional basketball.
When the Ohio native walked away, Smith shook his head and sat down. “Stephen A. Smith suddenly forgot he had vocal cords when LeBron pulled up,” read a reaction to the heated moment.
A second person tweeted, “While Stephen A. is not a small man, he’d have to be wearing a full exoskeleton to make up for the difference between him and LeBron in height, width, and weight. What’s he supposed to do other than keep his calm? All that animated talk is for TV.”
.@stephenasmith describes his moment with LeBron James last night at Lakers-Knicks. pic.twitter.com/ZZyUnOOwYZ
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 7, 2025
For comparisons, James is 6 feet 9 and 250 pounds, whereas Smith is 6-1and has a drastically slimmer build than the Olympian.
“Lebron handled this like a child…Smith is 5 foot 4 and 123 pounds soaking wet. LeBron is a giant. This isn’t about being a man or a father. Its a narcissist putting on a show to a man half his size,” read a third comment. Conversely, someone else’s perspective read, “Look at LeBron running away. He was scared of Stephen.”
The ESPN personality first broke his silence about the incident on a March 6 episode of “First Take,” admitting on-air that he was caught off guard.
Stephen A. Smith on Bronny’s performance last night vs. 76ers:
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 29, 2025
“I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father. Stop this. We all know Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad…”
(via @FirstTake)pic.twitter.com/AFpfOp8V0D
“That was LeBron James coming up to me, unexpectedly I might add, to confront me about making sure I mind what I say about his son. I can’t repeat the words because they ain’t suited for FCC airwaves,” explained Smith. He gave the athlete credit for being a stand-up family man but did not bite his tongue as he fired back at the most scoring player in the league.
Smith said that the game was not the place for them to hash things out and that if asked to meet privately, he would have obliged James. “I was not going to engage in a confrontation at that particular moment,” he said.
But behind closed doors, “I would have said to LeBron James, I never would speak negatively about your son. I was talking about you [LeBron]….I wish him nothing but the best. I hope that he flourishes into an NBA star.”
After the show, an X user remained convinced that the NBA great had gotten through to Smith. They wrote, LeBron got Stephen A shook about Bronny. He using his inside voice on First Take today. lol.”
The two men have never been on the same page, and “First Take” was just the first of Smith’s public statements about the spat. Later that evening, during his “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on YouTube, Smith offered an even more candid take.
Smith started by saying that he wanted to clear the air and refute claims that were previously reported in the media. The ESPN veteran said that despite some reports, James did not call him out of his name. However, he could tell the NBA big man was extremely angry.
“He approached me during the game, and he said, ‘Stop effing with my son! That’s my effing son! Stop effing with my son!'” Smith began. “I saw how furious he was, and I said, ‘We can talk about this later,’ [He said], ‘Nah F that! F that! Stop effing with my son!’ I said, ‘All right, Dog. Fine,’ and he walked away. That’s all he said.”
Smith admitted that he knew which comments set James off and that he had previously received criticism from other players, including Draymond Green. He also went on to condemn James, once again, for not reaching out to him privately about the matter. Though Smith admits he is “sad” about what transpired, he also “respects” it as a father.
“I’m not here to blame LeBron James,” said Smith. “That wasn’t a basketball player talking to me last night. That was a dad. He rolled up on me as a father.”
