NFL
Stephen A. Smith On LeBron James Confrontation: ‘I Thought It Was Weak’
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Get to know Dan Girolamo betterPublished12 Mar 2025
Stephen A. Smith shared his unfiltered thoughts about his confrontation with LeBron James.
Stephen A. Smith Gives Honest Opinion About Meeting With LeBron James
"I thought it was weak. I thought it was bullsh*t."@stephenasmith gives @GilsArenaShow the full story of what happened during his confrontation with LeBron 😳 pic.twitter.com/K6rtZsbYvf
— Underdog (@UnderdogFantasy) March 11, 2025
The internet saw James confront Smith during the Lakers’ 113-109 win over the New York Knicks on March 6.
The issue revolved around Smith’s criticism of James’ son, Bronny James, a rookie guard for the Lakers.
Smith spoke to his First Take teammate, Gilbert Arenas, on Tuesday’s Gil’s Arena podcast. Smith did not mince words when describing how he felt about James’ actions.
“I thought it was weak,” Smith said. “I thought it was some bull—-. But, in the moment, I knew that I was listening to a father.”
Smith, who was sitting courtside during the game, clarified what the Lakers star said to him during the confrontation.
“I turn around, and he’s right here in my face and says, ‘Yo, you gotta stop talking s— about my son,'” Smith said on the podcast. “‘You gotta stop f—ing with my son. That’s my son, that’s my son!'”
Smith believes that James saw him lock eyes with Bronny earlier in the game, which prompted the four-time NBA MVP to walk over during a timeout.
When Smith first addressed the situation the following morning on First Take, he was much more understanding.
“That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me,” Smith said on First Take. “That was a parent. That was a father.”
Stephen A. Smith begins First Take confirming that LeBron James confronted him at last night's Lakers game over comments about Bronny James.
"That wasn't a basketball player confronting me, that was a parent, that was a father." pic.twitter.com/QTWmScRIGF
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 7, 2025
Stephen A. Smith Says His Criticism Is Directed At LeBron, Not Bronny
LEAKED Audio Of LeBron James Talking About The Stephen A Smith Confrontation👀:
“Once he talks about: ‘I’m pleading you as a father,’ I can’t” pic.twitter.com/RJhi7gxuSa
— LegendZ (@legendz_nba) March 10, 2025
During Saturday night’s game between the Lakers and Boston Celtics, James spoke with his former teammate Richard Jefferson.
During the conversation with Jefferson, James said, “Once he talks about, ‘I’m pleading you as a father,’ I can’t.”
This is the moment where Smith changed his tune. Once again, Smith reiterated that his criticism is of James, not his son.
“I thought that he misrepresented the argument. I was glad he did,” Smith told Arenas. “Because what he was really talking about, which was confirmed with his conversation with Richard Jefferson, is that I was talking about him as a father. Had he said that to me, I wouldn’t have been thrown off. I would’ve came right back at him. ‘Yes I was, I was talking about you. You did this s—.'”
Smith recently signed a five-year contract extension worth $100 million with ESPN.
