LeBron James Responds to Stephen A. Smith Feud on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’
LeBron James finally broke his silence on his ongoing dispute with Stephen A. Smith (SAS) during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. The Los Angeles Lakers star made it clear that he took issue with Smith’s comments about his son, rookie Bronny James, and explained why he confronted the ESPN personality courtside during a recent game at Madison Square Garden.
Earlier in March, a viral video showed James approaching SAS during a Lakers vs. Knicks game, setting off a wave of debate among sports analysts and fans. The confrontation stemmed from Smith’s criticism of Bronny’s readiness for the NBA, suggesting that LeBron had put his son in an unfair position by getting him drafted too soon. However, James felt the remarks crossed a line—turning from sports criticism to a personal attack on his parenting.
LeBron: “He Missed the Whole Point”
On The Pat McAfee Show, James didn’t hold back when explaining his frustration with Smith.
“He completely missed the whole point. The whole point,” James said. “Never would I ever not allow people to talk about the sport and criticize players about what they do. That is your job to criticize… but when you take it and you get personal with it, it’s my job to not only protect my d— household but protect the players.”
James also took a moment to mockingly acknowledge that Smith would likely be thrilled by the attention.
“He’s gonna be smiling from ear to ear when he hears me talking about him,” James said. “I know he’s gonna be happy as h—.”
Stephen A. Smith Fires Back, Then Softens His Stance
Smith didn’t back down after the courtside exchange. The next morning on First Take, he called James’ approach “weak” but expressed willingness to have a sit-down conversation. He doubled down on his criticism in a separate podcast appearance with Gilbert Arenas.
However, after a standout performance from Bronny in a recent Lakers game, Smith seemed to walk back some of his earlier comments.
“I might have been wrong,” Smith admitted on First Take. “I’ve always believed this kid had the potential to be in the NBA, but what I saw last night… if he keeps showing up like that, then indeed he’ll be in the league as a bonafide player sooner than later.”
Will LeBron and SAS Squash Their Beef?
For now, it doesn’t seem likely that James and Smith will sit down to hash out their differences. While Smith has acknowledged that Bronny may be proving him wrong, James appears firm in his stance on how the media discusses his family.
Whether this feud cools down or escalates further remains to be seen. But for now, all eyes will be on Bronny as he continues to develop in the NBA—and on whether Smith has any more words for the James family.
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