The heated feud between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith during the Lakers-Knicks game at Crypto.com Arena has captured the attention of the sports world.
Now, Smith is offering unfiltered insight into the viral courtside confrontation, admitting that while the moment caught him off guard, he had no fear of LeBron getting physical but knew that responding publicly would have created an even bigger spectacle.
“I Knew It Wasn’t the Time to Respond”
The moment unfolded in the third quarter, with cameras rolling on national television. LeBron walked toward the court after the timeout, but not before delivering a stern message to Smith.
“When he approached me while I was sitting courtside at that game against the New York Knicks, I didn’t know he was gonna roll up on me,” Smith admitted. “But when he said what he had to say, I was in no position to give any kind of retort without making a scene.”
Smith, however, made it clear that his restraint wasn’t out of fear — it was about maintaining professionalism. “What do y’all want me to do? You want this to be a reincarnation of Chris Rock and Will Smith?” Stephen A. asked, referencing the infamous Oscars slap that left the entertainment world stunned.
“If He Put His Hands on Me, I Would Have Swung”
Smith didn’t mince words when addressing what would have happened if things had escalated.
“Let me assure you, it wouldn’t go like that,” Smith said with conviction. “I would have gotten my ass kicked, because if that man put his hands on me, I would have immediately swung on him. Immediately. That sh*t I’m not gonna tolerate.”
Despite the intensity of the moment, Smith maintained that he wasn’t worried about things escalating.
“But I knew he wasn’t gonna do that. There was no fear in my mind about it. It was shock.”
While Smith made it clear that he was ready for any situation that might have unfolded, he was also aware of the bigger picture. “Had I done something, what do y’all think would’ve happened? National TV, third quarter, cameras rolling. I wasn’t about to give them that,” Smith said.
Smith’s shock stemmed from the fact that he believed the confrontation was unnecessary. As he’s reiterated time and time again, his comments were never about Bronny James — they were about LeBron.
“I Wasn’t Talking About His Son” – Smith Clarifies His Position
Smith has been adamant that his commentary was aimed at LeBron’s handling of Bronny’s NBA journey, not a personal attack on his son.
“As I have repeatedly stated, I was not talking about his son, I was talking about him,” Smith emphasized once again.
Smith had previously criticized how LeBron placed Bronny in the media spotlight by suggesting that his son was “better than some NBA players” before he had even stepped foot in the league. Smith argued that this narrative put unnecessary pressure on Bronny and invited criticism from the public.
“LeBron did this,” Smith said in previous comments. “He put Bronny in this position.”
