Stephen A. Smith on Friday explained what went down when Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James confronted him in the middle of a game.
Smith sat courtside at the Lakers’ Thursday night game against the New York Knicks. At one point during a stoppage, a fan captured footage of James approaching the ESPN commentator. Although Smith’s back was to the camera, James could be clearly seen talking to him in an aggressive manner. After saying what he needed to say, James walked away as the game resumed.
Some social media users attempted to read James’s lips and theorized that the brief exchange was about his son Bronny James — who was selected by the Lakers with the 55th overall pick in the NFL Draft. In January, Smith was critical of LeBron for allowing his son to play in the NBA following a poor performance against the Philadelphia 76ers.
On Monday’s episode of First Take, Smith confirmed that LeBron indeed mentioned his son.
“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,” Smith said. “Can’t repeat the words because they ain’t suited for FCC airwaves. That’s what he was doing. And I thought long and hard about this over the last few hours because I had no intentions, [Molly Qerim], of talking about this at all; and the reason why is because it was a one-on-one — I wouldn’t say a conversation, but it was a one-on-one confrontation — but then I wake up and everybody from ESPN, and my agent, and everybody else, 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. And I can’t sit here and be angry or feel slighted by LeBron James in any way in that regard. By all accounts, he’s obviously a wonderful family man and a wonderful father who cares very, very deeply about his son; and based on some of the comments that he had heard — or shall I say, I think he thought he heard — he clearly took exception to some of the things that he heard me say and he confronted me about it.”
Watch above via ESPN.