The tension between Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James has reached a point that no one expected. What began as a heated disagreement over Bronny James’ readiness for the NBA has now turned into a personal feud, one that Smith believes LeBron could have easily ended with a simple apology.
Appearing on The Pivot Podcast, Stephen A. didn’t hold back.
“See, with somebody like LeBron, you’re not getting an apology. I’m too little. I’m too meaningless. I’m too insignificant for someone like him to be man enough to say, ‘Yo, you really didn’t do that to my son. You were actually calling me out.'”
“I was the one who, whether it was getting him into the draft, getting him drafted by the Lakers, having him brought up from the G League, or putting him up against Tyrese Maxey in the first quarter after playing in the G League the night before, I didn’t call any of that out until that last part happened. I didn’t say anything when he was a McDonald’s All-American averaging 14 points a game.”
“I didn’t say anything when he went to USC and had the heart ailment, even when people speculated about why. I didn’t say anything when he declared for the draft. I didn’t say anything when he was picked by the Lakers. I didn’t say anything when he was there on opening night with the Griffeys, celebrating.”
I stood up and applauded because I thought it was a great moment. And most importantly, I thought LeBron James deserved it. He’s done so much for the league.”
“I said, ‘The league owes him this. Whatever he wants, give it to him.’ He’s underpaid. I don’t care what his son’s getting paid—go for it. I even said I think his son’s going to be a good pro if he keeps working on his game. I said all of that.”
“But after that one night in Philly, I said, ‘Wait a minute now. You’re asking us to ignore doing our job.’ We saw what we saw. He’s not ready yet.”
“That doesn’t mean he won’t be ready, but at that moment, he wasn’t. And because of that, you caused this whole brouhaha. Nah. We’re not backing up from that. Nobody is getting me to back down from that at all. LeBron was wrong, and he will forever be wrong.”
“And as far as I’m concerned, anybody in this business, or anyone who wants to be in this business, especially these athletes with their podcasts who can’t see it, consider yourself blind or unethical. Because anybody with professional ethics who knows sports and understands what comes with it knows I did not do anything wrong to that young man.”
“But to paint me as someone who would attack a child just because I dislike you? That’s low. That’s really low. And that’s where it’s going to stay. The only reason I’m even saying this is because you asked me. This is how I feel, and I’m not going to change. If he doesn’t say anything, I’m not going to say anything. I’ll just do my job. But if there’s another confrontation? I assure you, I’ll be better ready and better prepared this time. I promise you that.”
This latest comment adds yet another layer to what’s become one of the most viral feuds in recent NBA media history. Their clash started after Smith criticized LeBron as a father for allowing Bronny to be thrust into high-pressure matchups too soon, particularly after Tyrese Maxey and the 76ers dominated the Lakers in a blowout last season.
LeBron then confronted Smith courtside not long after, an exchange can be described as tensed.
Since then, things have spiraled. LeBron James took a subtle jab on The Pat McAfee Show, comparing Smith’s endless talk about him to ‘a Taylor Swift tour.’ Smith fired back immediately on The Stephen A. Smith Show, calling LeBron “a liar” and a “backstabber.”
What once seemed like a disagreement over basketball has turned into a full-blown personal rift. On The Pivot, Smith made it clear that while he’s moved on professionally, he won’t forget the disrespect.
For now, LeBron has remained silent, choosing not to address the feud publicly. But Smith’s latest remarks make one thing certain, the bad blood between the two isn’t going away anytime soon. What began as commentary has evolved into one of the most personal and public rifts between a sports journalist and a superstar in recent memory.
