During the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks game last night, star forward LeBron James seemed to get into a heated discussion with longtime NBA personality Stephen A. Smith. Many started to speculate what James was discussing with Smith but some started to put the pieces together.
Stephen A. Smith begins First Take confirming that LeBron James confronted him at last night's Lakers game over comments about Bronny James.
"That wasn't a basketball player confronting me, that was a parent, that was a father." pic.twitter.com/QTWmScRIGF
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 7, 2025
Most people wonder if it was about James' son Bronny and how Smith has been overly critical of him. Since Bronny was drafted, Smith has called him out and even pleaded with LeBron to stop Bronny from playing.
During his morning ESPN show First Take, Smith confirmed that it did have to do with Bronny.
"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. That's what he was doing. Now, 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, I wouldn't say conversation but it was a one-on-one confrontation...that wasn't a basketball player confronting me, that was a parent, that was a father. And I can't sit here and be angry or feel slighted by LeBron James in any way."
.@stephenasmith describes his moment with LeBron James last night at Lakers-Knicks. pic.twitter.com/ZZyUnOOwYZ
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 7, 2025
Smith was critical of Bronny and pleaded with LeBron to stop him from playing. This came during the struggles that Bronny was showing on the court and many different NBA analysts went after Bronny.
“I’m really, really trying to be as respectful as I possibly can be toward LeBron James, one of the top two or three players in the history of basketball,” Smith said. “I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father. Stop this. Stop this. We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad. The first game of the season … father-son duo playing in an NBA game for the first time, an absolutely, positively wonderful story."
But it seems that the words from Smith cut deeper for LeBron. LeBron has made it through his career without engaging in much of the outside noise that has come his way.
But over the past few months, he has seemed to respond to more things, likely due to Bronny. The NBA legend clearly was taken aback by the comments from Smith and decide to face him head on in person.
It remains to be seen if LeBron will respond to Smith again but the entire basketball world will be watching for it.
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