Has the tension between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith cooled in recent months? According to Stephen A., not so much.
In an interview with Danyel Smith Rolling Stone, one of the topics discussed was Stephen A.’s feud with LeBron James, which peaked in March when LeBron confronted Stephen A. on the floor during a game between the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers.
When asked about the incident, Stephen A. made it clear that he’ll still talk about James, saying, “And so I’m not gonna cover the Lakers? I’m not gonna talk about James now? What sense does that make? I have to cover the sport. He’s a big part of the sport, which means I have to cover him, no matter what.”
Smith then asked Stephen A., “What is going on with you and LeBron James?”
“I have nothing to say about that,” Stephen A. said. “I don’t like him, and he don’t like me. He’s one of the greatest players who’s ever lived. I’m going to show him that respect, and I’m going to cover him objectively. When he does great, I’m gonna applaud. When he doesn’t do great, I’m not gonna applaud. He hid behind his son [Los Angeles Laker Bronny James], tried to make something out of nothing, as if I was dogging his son, which I was not. The real issue was we don’t like each other. And he used that as an excuse to confront me. I got it.”
Both Stephen A. and James have had plenty to say since their viral confrontation. As we near the offseason, there’s no reason to expect that it won’t continue through the summer.