FRISCO - Los Angeles Lakers star and ESPN media personality Stephen A. Smith are caught in a wild feud that has taken the internet by storm. The tensions have simmered for a few weeks but finally boiled over this week.
This all started with James confronting Smith after a Lakers game three weeks ago on March 6. Reportedly, James took issue with Smith pushing the needle in his coverage of Bronny James, his son.
Wednesday, James appeared on "The Pat McAfee Show" and sounded off on a number of topics that included the coverage of him by those at ESPN, hinting at Smith and NBA reporter Brian Windhorst.
Smith of course stirred up wild and nonsensical retorts about the situation, even threatening to throw hands if James had gotten physical in their original altercation. Wednesday night, James scored the game-winning tip-in to beat the Indiana Pacers.
LeBron then took to Instagram, posting an old video of Smith in mockery of his new rival. ... a video example of how Stephen A., at age 57, can't even win a boxing match against air ... let alone against James, who at 6-9 and 250 pounds is one of the most powerfully gifted athletes of all time.
Lebron James posted this of Stephen A Smith boxing with the IG with the caption:
"WHOMP WHOMP WHOMPPPPPPPP" pic.twitter.com/RnpjATXZuT
— ryan (@scubaryan_) March 27, 2025
That also caught the attention of the entire internet, including former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant who responded to the situation on X ".@KingJames you a wild boy."
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James, a known Cowboy fan for a time (though he backed off that a bit as a result of the national anthem kneeling controversy), has drawn in the support of other athletes amid this ongoing battle. Conversely Smith, the fake-hating ring leader of the anti-Cowboys bandwagon, never hesitates to throw a low blow whenever it comes to "America's Team."
The same apparently can be said for when he is confronted in a hostile situation. Smith retorted on Thursday with hints about James' speculated absence at Kobe Bryant's memorial service and former teammate Dwayne Wade's retirement.
Sadly, Smith and fellow hot-take savants have taken on an entirely different influence in the modern social media realm, using their platforms to spew seemingly constant negative messaging. Ironically, James and the Cowboys happen to be two of the most popular topics in those discussions.
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This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 12:54 PM.