Stephen A. Smith Opens Up About His Tense Confrontation With LeBron James
Stephen A. Smith didn’t hold back when discussing his now-viral run-in with NBA legend LeBron James. The 58-year-old First Take host unpacked the tension that’s been brewing between them since March — and let’s just say, he wasn’t mincing words.
As Smith told it, things took a sharp turn after comments he made about LeBron’s son, Bronny James, on the 7pm in Brooklyn podcast.
“Let me address LeBron,” Smith started. “I do not like his a–. You don’t even grasp the lengths this dude will go. This goes back over a decade,” he continued.
“Publicly, I think he presents one way, but privately, it’s another.”
According to Smith, he’s heard rumors and personal comments from James that crossed a line. “If it were up to him, I wouldn’t be where I am today… it’s some low, low s—.”
Stephen A. Says LeBron “Rolled Up” On Him At Lakers Game
The outspoken commentator described how LeBron allegedly “rolled up” on him at a Lakers game shortly after Smith renewed his contract with ESPN. “He came to me that same day,” Smith said. “The day my contract got announced that I was staying with ESPN.”
He challenged viewers to “go back and check the camera angles,” claiming the footage only showed one side of the story.
“I got there in the first quarter. He came at me in the third quarter. This is 2025; we’ve got tech everywhere,” Smith said. “It was a nationally televised game on TNT. How come we only got one angle, and it’s just his face, while you see the back of my peanut head?”
When asked if he felt set up, Smith didn’t hesitate. “Damn right. That’s how I feel.”
“As a Father”: The Moment That Changed Everything For Stephen A.
Initially, Smith brushed off the encounter, seeing it as “no big deal.” He even told fans he understood James’ emotions. “I’m like, that’s just a dad reacting to his son,” he said.
But things changed when James brought up the “as a father” line in a conversation with Richard Jefferson on ESPN two days later. That hit differently for Smith — not just as a broadcaster but as a man who values his integrity.
“The last straw wasn’t him rolling up on me,” Smith shared. “It was when he came on ESPN,” which Smith reminded viewers was “my channel,” and “dogged” him.
“When I tell y’all you can’t comprehend how mad I’ve been over that,” he said, his tone sharp with emotion. “There’s no level of disrespect that has ever been shown to me in my life that matches what he did.”
Smith stood firm that his critiques were never personal. “To try and paint me as someone who’d go after someone’s family, knowing I’ve never done that? I can’t stress how offensive I find that.”
The Long-Standing Tension Between Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James
This isn’t the first time Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James have traded subtle shade. For years, Smith has walked a fine line between respecting LeBron’s greatness and holding him accountable in the media spotlight.
Still, this latest dust-up revealed the deeper tension between the two — one built on pride, perspective, and power.
Smith’s critics argue that his personality can be polarizing, but his defenders say his honesty is what makes him one of the most authentic voices in sports media. And truthfully, he’s never been the type to let anyone — even LeBron James — check him in public without speaking his mind.