Just when everyone thought that his feud with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James had simmered down, here comes ESPN host Stephen A. Smith again with another all-time rant.
He recently called James "weak" after approaching him at courtside to confront him about his supposedly negative remarks against the four-time MVP's son, Bronny James.
Smith, however, denied that he criticized the Lakers rookie.
"I don't run and hide," said Smith on the latest episode of his show, as shared by ClutchPoints on X. "If I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong. If I'm right, I'm right! I was never (expletive) on Bronny James.
"I wouldn't do that to the James family. I was talking about one person and one person only. We may never speak in life again. I'm fine with it."
While the 57-year-old Smith has said good things about the Lakers forward in the past, he didn't hold back on his personal view of the future Hall of Famer.
"We don't get along," admitted Smith. "There's a multitude of reasons why and I've alluded to some of them. But we know what the biggest reason is.
"I ain't Shannon Sharpe, it ain't GOAT status this way. My GOAT is Michael Jordan. Thirty-five thousand points, eclipsing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with over 38,000, ultimately 40,000, now 50,000, another All-Star appearance, another 50-point game, whatever! Ain't my GOAT."
For the coup de grace, the controversial host added: "I watch the game, I'm a student of the game. I know GOAT when I see one."
Smith, who received backlash for his initial reaction to the incident with LeBron James, also defended his job. He stressed that he's not being paid to get chummy with players.
"I get paid to talk about folks, not to them," added Smith. "I cover the league. You play, I watch, dissect, analyze and broadcast."
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This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 9:39 AM.
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