Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James started his day putting Stephen A. Smith on blast. He spent his evening in Indianapolis hitting a new first-quarter low.
James hit a mark not seen in a while against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. He didn't make a single shot during the opening quarter. StatMamba revealed the last time that feat occurred for James.
“It’s just the 5th time in his entire career that he has failed to do so — and the first since 2010,” StatMamba shared on X.
James' low came well before he joined the Lakers.
LeBron James went 0-of-5 from the field in the first half of Lakers-Pacers 🥶
It's the first time he has not made a field goal in a first half since 2010 when he was a member of the Heat. pic.twitter.com/p91zCo4ysK
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 27, 2025
Expand Tweet
James struggled on the shooting end inside the Gainbridge Fieldhouse floor. The four-time NBA champion settled for only two points total in the first half. And both his points came via the white stripe on free throws.
LeBron James addressed the Stephen A. Smith feud before Pacers game
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) rebounds the ball in the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
James, again, launched his Wednesday by making a rare public appearance on ESPN.
Related Los Angeles Lakers NewsArticle continues below
The Pat McAfee Show welcomed James on the set. James had plenty to say with the verbose radio personality. But he addressed the well-known spat between the NBA star and ESPN personality Smith.
James still doesn't speak highly of Smith after the loquacious media personality criticized his son Bronny. The Lakers star even compared Smith to a renowned pop diva.
“He's like on a Taylor Swift tour run right now,” James said. “He literally, it started off with, ‘I didn't want to address it. I didn't want to address it; I wasn't gonna address it. But since the video came out, I feel the need to address it.'”
James wasn't through with ripping into Smith.
“Motherf***er, are you kidding me? If there's one person that couldn't wait till the video had dropped so you could address it, it's your a**. Like, seriously,” James said. “Never would I ever not allow people to talk about the sport, criticize players about what they do on the court. That is your job to criticize or to be in a position to, okay, if a guy's not performing. That is all part of the game. That's all part of the game.”
However, James ended with: “But when you take it and you get personal with it, it's my job to not only protect my damn household but protect the players.”
James currently has the Lakers 43-28 overall. Los Angeles remains fifth in the Western Conference standings. However, James still struggled to score against Indiana — with just three points through three quarters.