LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith set the NBA world on fire last week after the King confronted the ESPN analyst during a Los Angeles Lakers game. Smith initially didn’t have a problem with what LeBron had to say, but as time went on, he became more aggressive. His latest comments on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast went viral as Smith called James’ actions a weak move.
“I thought it was weak. I thought it was some bullsh*t. But, in the moment, I knew that I was listening to a father… apparently, LeBron had walked out of the timeout, and I turn around, and he’s right here in my face. He said ‘Yo you gotta stop talking sh*t about my son. You gotta stop f*cking with my son. That’s my son.'”
“I was like ‘What?’ and he was like ‘f*ck that!’ And I said, ‘Yo, let’s talk later.’ And he said ‘No f**k that, f**k that. You gotta stop f*cking with my son.’ I said, ‘Alright, though.’ And he walked off.”
Smith didn’t appreciate James blindsiding him at a game and confronting him in public. However, him having a problem with James pulling up to him face to face is ironic, considering that on numerous occasions in the past, Smith has accepted, if not encouraged, players to come speak to him at games if they have a problem with him. One fan compiled his comments at different points in a clip that has now gone viral.
“We were at the Staples Center. And Kyrie [Irving] rolls up on me, taps me on the back and he’s like ‘You still got that same energy face-to-face?’… I said I’m standing here, ain’t I?”
“You never saw me at games? For the better part of the last 25 years, I’ve been at an average of 120 games a year. You didn’t see me sitting courtside?”
“Kobe can vouch for this, D-Wade can vouch for this, CP3 can vouch for this, Melo can vouch for this. All you gotta do is come talk to me. I don’t have to agree with you. We could cuss each other out. It doesn’t matter… He’s a man, and you’re going to deal with him on the real. MJ is another cat – Real!”
“You could come to me, and it could be real. If I say something publicly wrong, I’m not going to apologize privately.”
LeBron allegedly told Stephen A. Smith not to talk about his son, Bronny, in a negative light. And as more details about the confrontation have emerged, fans have gotten a better idea of what exactly James’ issue was. Some have supported James on the matter, like Ric Bucher, who called out Smith for what he said.
However, many others have been critical of LeBron’s approach. UFC star Colby Covington used the situation to go after LeBron James to further their one-sided beef. DeMarcus Cousins bemoaned a double standard in the NBA after James was praised for confronting Smith. But perhaps none were more egregious than Jason Whitlock, who made LeBron confronting Smith an issue about how he grew up without a father.
Clearly, this is a contentious matter between the two sides. But James appears to have moved on, shifting his focus to his recovery and return to the Lakers. James is back in Los Angeles, leaving the team early on their East road trip to try and accelerate his rehab process. James is in control of when he returns, and he is looking to get his body right ahead of the NBA playoffs.
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