LeBron James has never been afraid to take on a challenge on or off the court. So when ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said he'd throw down with the NBA superstar if a spat between them at a recent game ever got physical, LeBron wasted no time getting back at what the global icon took to be a hilarious retort that sent the whole internet into a frenzy.
On Wednesday night (March 26), James clowned Smith on social media, posting a video of the controversial commentator shadowboxing. And if that wasn't enough, he followed it up with a meme of Key Glock and Young Dolph laughing hysterically with the sarcastic "WHOMP WHOMP WHOMPPPPPPPP" and a ton of laughing emojis.
The shots were fired after Smith made an outrageous claim that had LeBron confronted him physically, he would've "immediately swung" back. Of course, the sports analyst did qualify his statement, saying his "butt would probably be kicked" in that situation, but that didn't deter him from sticking by his words, at least initially.
Predictably, social media lit up with responses to Smith's tough-guy posture. Under growing scrutiny, Smith quickly clarified his remarks, saying he was afraid of no LeBron but instead was making a point.
"Nice try, folks. That on my show I said I would've swung on @kingjames had he slapped me, like a lot of y'all said I was scared he would've done weeks ago," Smith tweeted. "I also said right after that I woulda caught a serious ass-whoopin' from the 6'8″, 250lb Goliath, but obviously people omitted that part of my YouTube sentence, huh? Okay. Have fun!"
While Smith attempted to smooth things, the internet wouldn't let it go. The viral moment snowballed, with fans mummifying his words and debating whether the ESPN personality was just trying to drum up drama for clicks.
Never one to let a media circus go unchecked, LeBron took the opportunity to throw one last playful jab during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. He compared Smith's behavior to a "Taylor Swift tour run," implying the pundit was out for attention.
According to James, Smith "totally missed the entire point" about their courtside exchange. While LeBron embraces fair criticism of his game, he resisted personal attacks, signaling that Smith had stepped into unfair territory.
In a stroke of self-aware humor, LeBron even weighed in on how he thought Smith would respond to LeBron's remarks, joking that he'd be "smiling ear to ear" while eating ice cream in his "tighty whities" on the couch and loving every minute of it.
Ultimately, James ended things with a succinct message for Smith: "Relax. Chill out."
So, while Smith attempted to stand his ground, LeBron's penchant for trolling and calmness proved to be the internet's pick. Whether Smith learned to chill out is to be determined, but one thing is sure: LeBron James knows how to play a media moment like an MVP.
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