Stephen A. Smith recently gave his unfiltered response to LeBron James confronting him courtside over his criticism of Bronny James.
It’s rare to see a star like LeBron James confront a media personality courtside during a nationally televised game, but that’s exactly what happened when he approached ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith during the Lakers-Knicks matchup at Crypto.com Arena.
During a recent appearance on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast, Smith detailed the now-viral moment when LeBron James confronted him over comments about Bronny James
“I Thought It Was Bullsh*t”
The incident happened in the third quarter when Smith stood up, turned, and suddenly found LeBron in his face, saying, “Yo, you gotta stop talking sh*t about my son, you gotta stop effin’ with my son. That’s my son.”
Smith, caught off guard, simply replied, “Alright though,” and LeBron walked off.
While Smith admitted that his initial reaction was to dismiss the confrontation as unnecessary, he quickly acknowledged that it was coming from a place of fatherly instinct.
“Even though I thought it was weak, even though I thought it was bullsh*t, I knew that I was listening to a father,” Smith explained.
He recalled seeing Bronny’s expression earlier in the game—a “sad look” directed at him—which likely triggered LeBron’s response.
A National Spotlight on the Moment
Part of what made the situation even more complicated was the timing.
That same day, Smith finalized his new contract with ESPN, making the confrontation even more high-profile as it played out on a national stage
“I just agreed to my contract. That day was when it was announced. It was all over everywhere. It’s a nationally televised game. If I do anything, it’s gonna be a scene,” Smith said.
Ultimately, Smith let the moment pass in real time, but once he saw LeBron’s additional comments in Boston, he was “really pissed.”
LeBron’s Issue: A Father, Not a Player
Smith found it interesting that LeBron framed the confrontation around defending his son rather than addressing criticism of his parenting, which he would have debated.
“What he was really talking about, which was confirmed with his conversation with Richard Jefferson, was that I was talking about him as a father,” Smith said. “Had he said that to me, I wouldn’t have been thrown off. I would’ve come right back at him.”
The moment only escalated in Smith’s mind when he later saw the footage of LeBron discussing the issue with Richard Jefferson, solidifying what Smith believed to be a misrepresentation of the situation.
