The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New York Knicks on Thursday night in overtime, 113-109. It was the eighth straight victory for the Lakers, and LeBron James and Luka Doncic combined to score 63 points in the game.
It was another big win for the Lakers, who now begin a four-game road trip that starts with a showdown against the Boston Celtics on Saturday.
After the game, a video surfaced of James confronting Stephen A. Smith during halftime. The video has since gone viral, and Smith spoke about the incident on Friday during an episode of "First Take."
"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," Smith said. "That wasn't a basketball player confronting me. That was a parent."
While it remains unclear exactly what was said between the two, Smith insists it was about Bronny.
Meanwhile, a video from January has resurfaced with Smith's comments about the Lakers' father-son duo.
"I am pleading with LeBron James as a father, stop this. Stop this," Smith stated. "We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad."
Looks like this is when Stephen A REALLY pissed LeBron off… back in January pic.twitter.com/B309ZIC7Hp
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) March 7, 2025
"How are you doing him favors?" Smith asked after reading Bronny's stats. "We know that he is not ready yet... I'm saying this with compassion."
So, the morning after the confrontation, this clip resurfaced and fans quickly pointed out that this is the reason.
"This is why LeBron pressed Stephen A," one fan said.
"Reason why Bron is mad at Stephen A lol," said another.
"He made it personal and LeBron made it a point to tell him in person because he wanted everyone in the media to know not to cross that line," another wrote.
Stephen A. also said that he "can't sit here and be angry or feel slighted by LeBron James in any way in that regard" during his segment on Friday.
All in all, it appears this video from the end of January is the reason why LeBron James confronted Stephen A. in an incident that is swirling all around the internet.
Related: LeBron James, Stephen A. Smith Exchange Words During Lakers-Knicks
Related: Stephen A. Smith Breaks Silence on LeBron James Confrontation
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This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 11:19 AM.