By JAKE NISSE
Published: 17:07 EDT, 14 March 2025 | Updated: 17:08 EDT, 14 March 2025
Former NBA star Gordon Hayward has insisted he would 'never' confront a sports analyst like LeBron James did to Stephen A. Smith earlier this month.
After the Lakers defeated the Knicks at home on March 7, James was captured on video in a heated exchange with ESPN's Smith, who said afterwards that the player's comments were related to what the journalist had said about his son, Bronny.
And while Smith later said he didn't feel 'angry' or 'slighted' by James' comments towards him, Hayward criticized the four-time MVP on Friday.
'I think we all have moments where we want to confront the talking heads, because a lot of the stuff that they say, they just don't know what they're talking about, because they're not with you in the locker room or they don't know what's going on behind the scenes,' Hayward, who retired last August following a 14-year-career, said on on FanDuel TV's Run it Back.
'They have some source and they're getting second-hand information. But, me personally, I would never do that in public like that. I don't think that's the time or place to do something like that.'
After the Lakers beat the Knicks 113-109 at Crypto.com Arena, James could be seen angrily addressing Smith as the two stood face to face.
Cameras caught LeBron James having a heated exchange with Stephen A. Smith last week
Gordon Hayward said he would 'never' have confronted a sports analyst like James did
Hayward, a one-time All-Star, retired last year after an accomplished 14-year career
Smith has previously insisted that James' son and teammate, Bronny, belongs in the G League and was in the NBA because of his father (he has switched between the G League and NBA this season and has played 18 times for the Lakers).
The ESPN star confirmed afterwards that James had approached him regarding his eldest 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,' he revealed on First Take. 'I can't repeat the words because they aren't suited for airwaves.'
'That wasn't a basketball player confronting me,' he later continued. '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,' he said.
Footage also emerged of James talking to NBA analyst and former teammate Richard Jefferson, in which he could be heard discussing what he'd said to Smith.
'That's the only thing I'm tripping,' James could be heard saying in footage obtained by LegendZ.
'I don't give a f***. Once he talks about: 'I'm pleading to you as a father'. I can't.'
Smith had previously claimed he was 'trying to be as respectful as I possibly can be toward LeBron James' while discussing Bronny, who is averaging 1.4 points, though the Lakers star evidently didn't appreciate the remarks.
Two days after his confrontation with Smith, James injured his groin against the Celtics, with ESPN's Shams Charania later reporting he'd be out 1-2 weeks.
Bronny, meanwhile, last saw time on the court for the Lakers on February 12.
LA LakersLebron James