Stephen A. Smith is issuing an apology after claiming LeBron James didn’t attend Kobe Bryant’s funeral.
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On Thursday morning (March 27), Stephen A. Smith went on First Take and aired out more of his grievances against LeBron James. The two have previously engaged in a very public war of words in the past few weeks — with James son and fellow Los Angeles Lakers player Bronny James even being mentioned.
Well, another Lakers player was mentioned during their latest online beef: the late and great Kobe Bryant. During the first hour of ‘First Take,’ Stephen A. Smith claimed LeBron James wasn’t present at Kobe Bryant’s memorial service. He said:
“If LeBron James wants to see me continue to cover this sport, or he wants to have a problem with me continuing to cover this sport, I suggest that he be happy with the things that I haven’t brought up. I never brought up really and never really discussed why you were not at Kobe Bryant’s memorial service. I never really brought up or discussed why you did not attend Dwyane Wade’s Hall of Fame induction when that man was directly responsible for you capturing a championship for the first time in your career. I brought up none of that… But LeBron James, at the end of the day, wants to come at me, and he’s walking around pouting.”
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Despite Smith’s bold and spicy commentary, it turns out he was actually spewing false claims. James was indeed in attendance at Bryant’s memorial service. The Los Angeles Times and Washington Post both confirmed his attendance. However, cameramen were asked not to capture him, in respect to Bryant and his family. In the second hour of ‘First Take,’ Stephen A. Smith cleared up his comments and said:
“People were blowing up my phone since the first segment of the show when I talked about him at the memorial service. I didn’t mean to say he wasn’t in the building. I was told he was in the building. But, we saw a whole bunch of players out there. But, we didn’t see him. Why? Hmm. I’ll let him answer that one day, if he so chooses.”
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Stephen A. Smith Issue Apology To LeBron James Over Kobe Bryant Memorial
With the backlash still surrounding him and him still going back-and-forth with LeBron James on social media, Stephen A. Smith bit the bullet and apologized. He took to X and tweeted:
“My apologies and clarification. I misspoke in Hour 1 of ‘First Take’ today when I intimated that LeBron did not attend Kobe Bryant’s memorial. I corrected myself in Hour 2 when I acknowledged he was indeed in attendance. My mistake. Should not have even broached that subject. It was not my main point. I retract NOTHING else that I said. Have a nice day!”
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