In a recent interview on the Pat McAfee Show, LeBron James finally addressed his viral confrontation with Stephen A. Smith (among other topics), and he felt compelled to step up on the ESPN reporter. In a wild moment on camera, James likened Stephen A.’s behavior to going on a media tour run in an attempt to win over the public.
“[Stephen A. Smith] is on a Taylor Swift tour run right now,” said James. “It started off with ‘I didn’t want to address it, but since the video came out, I feel the need to address it.’ Motherf**ker, are you kidding me, if there’s one person that couldn’t wait until the video dropped, it was your *ss. Like, seriously?”
Stephen A. Smith has been critical of LeBron for years, but things took a different turn when he called out the NBA superstar as a father for putting his son in a position to fail. James felt that Stephen A. crossed a line by getting personal and overstepping his bounds, so he approached him courtside at a game to send a message.
It seems Smith never quite got the message because instead of turning course, he doubled down on the encounter without acknowledging the bigger issue.
“He completely missed the whole point,” continued James. “Never would I ever not allow people to criticize players about what they do on the court. That is your job: to criticize or to be in a position where a guy is not performing. That is all part of the game. But when you take it and you get personal with it, it’s my job to not only protect my damn household but also all protect the players.”
For LeBron, it seems the thing he hates most about Stephen A. is the hypocrisy. Smith claims to avoid the smoke, but LeBron knows how much he enjoys the spotlight and seemingly seeks it out every chance he gets.
“I know [Stephen A] is going to be smiling from ear to ear when he hears me talking about him again. He’s gonna get home and grab some ice cream out of the freezer and sit in his chair on his tightie whites on the couch. Like, relax bro. Relax, seriously.”
LeBron James rarely addresses specific members of the NBA media like this, and he’s never tried to silence his critics with anything but his play. When it comes to getting personal or messing with his title as a husband or dad, however, LeBron is going to stand up, and that’s exactly what he did when he heard Stephen A. Smith challenge his fatherhood on national television.
He didn’t know at the time how Smith would react or the statement that would come after, but Bronny’s recent play has already made him look foolish. Even Stephen A. suggested he may have been wrong with his assessment of Bronny.
It remains to be seen when or if Smith will respond, but it’s pretty clear why he’s not on the best of terms with LeBron, and they may never make peace. Either way, James is going to focus on the Lakers now, and with the playoffs closing in, it’s more important than ever to be fully locked in.
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