LeBron James, coming off a Lakers win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night (March 6), would not waste any time seeking out Stephen A. Smith. The flames courtside banter went viral, and fans want to know: What did LeBron say?
The following day (March 7), Smith quickly addressed the confrontation on First Take. The ESPN analyst later explained that LeBron was angry in response to Smith’s recent comments about LeBron’s son, Bronny James, future in the NBA.
“That was LeBron James coming up to me, and I should mention this, confronting me, in a way, making sure that I mind what it is that I say about his son,” Smith said before adding that he couldn’t repeat precisely what LeBron said to him on the air due to FCC regulations.
For Smith, LeBron’s best way wasn’t only about basketball and family.
“That was a father,” Smith said. “And I can’t sit up here and be mad or feel any type of way about LeBron James in any sense in that way.”
However, while Smith appreciated LeBron’s point of view as a protective father, he wasn’t happy to hear it in public. He noted that James could have contacted him privately instead of confronting him courtside in front of cameras and an arena full of fans.
“If LeBron James wanted to reach me, LeBron James knows how to reach me,” Smith said. “Instead, he choose to come at me as I’m sitting courtside … He came to me and he said what he said.”
In recent years, Smith has been outspoken on the obstacles facing Bronny James, not as a lamentation for Bronny but as a commentary on the environment that LeBron has forced Bronny into. He explained that his comments were never intended to be a personal slight against Bronny.
“If we had had that private conversation,” Smith said, “I would have told LeBron James, ‘I would never put your son out there and speak negatively about him. I was talking about you.’ ”
The courtside quarrel between two sports media’s power brokers has divided fans. Did LeBron do the right thing calling out Smith in this manner, or should he have handled this behind closed doors? Either way, one thing is clear: As far as LeBron is concerned, he won’t be holding back regarding his family, particularly his son.
With emotions still running high, all eyes will be on what Smith says next and whether LeBron has any words to follow. One thing is sure: This showdown is far from over.
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