Stephen A. Smith Slams Lebron James For 'Hiding Behind His Son' Months After Their Explosive Feud

Yahoo

6 hours ago

It's a known fact that Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James aren't the biggest fans of each other, and based on a new interview the ESPN commentator did with Rolling Stone, it's starting to make sense why.
Stephen A. Smith Doesn't Hold Back Against LeBron James In A Candid New Interview
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According to Smith, who joined the ESPN family in 2003, he's always covered LeBron's career objectively and fairly.
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However, some of his reporting on LeBron's behind-the-scenes dealings in the NBA reportedly angered the four-time champion.
"I don't like him, and he don't like me," Smith stated. "He's one of the greatest players who's ever lived."
He added, "I'm going to show him that respect, and I'm going to cover him objectively. When he does great, I'm gonna applaud. When he doesn't do great, I'm not gonna applaud."
Smith Calls LeBron James Out For Hiding Behind His Son After Things Got Explosive Between Them
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Tensions between Smith and LeBron James reached an all-time high at the beginning of 2025, after the pair were seen butting heads courtside over pointed comments Smith had made about LeBron's son, Bronny James, on an episode of "First Take."
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'I am pleading with LeBron James as a father: stop this. Stop this,' Smith said on camera before questioning whether Bronny is a skilled enough player to be in the NBA.
He continued, 'We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad."
Smith then highlighted Bronny's early-season performance in the league, which, at the time, many deemed unimpressive.
'You know what people are saying. You know what they're going to do to this kid,' Smith said. 'In 13 games, he has played 44 minutes. He has scored four points, he is shooting 1-of-16 from the field, 0-for-7 from 3-point range. How are you doing him favors? We know that he's not ready yet. And I'm saying this with compassion."
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He added, "You know what it's going to do to your son, to people that are missing out on opportunities, that are busting their tail on other NBA teams and the G League and Europe and everywhere else, what kind of opportunity they are starving for? You're exposing your son like this.'
Smith Assures People He Was Not Speaking Negatively About LeBron James' Son
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In his most recent interview, Smith criticized LeBron for allegedly using his son to escalate their feud.
"He hid behind his son, tried to make something out of nothing, as if I was dogging his son, which I was not," Smith said.
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"The real issue was we don't like each other. And he used that as an excuse to confront me. I got it," he added before saying he wasn't going to change his position on the matter in the future.
"We're never gonna like each other," Smith stated. "It's not gonna stop me from doing my job. He'll be treated just like any other player I cover. Nobody is going to get me to compromise my professional integrity. I don't have to like you to be fair to you."
LeBron Addressed His Beef With Smith During An Earlier Interview
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Previously, on "The Pat McAfee Show," LeBron commented on his long-standing feud with Smith, slamming him for going on a "Taylor Swift tour run" to discuss their issues.
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"It started off with, 'I didn't want to address it. I wasn't going to address it, but since the video came out, I feel the need to address it,'" James said.
He continued: "Are you kidding me? If there was one person [who] couldn't wait for the video to drop, it was your -ss. Like seriously?"
Bronny's Coach Had Positive Things To Say About Him
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Bronny, meanwhile, appears unfazed by the noise surrounding him and his father in the NBA; in fact, he says, it only motivates him to work harder.
"My first thought about everything is I always try to just let it go through one ear and out the other, put my head down, and come to work and be positive every day," he said.
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And that attitude appears to be impacting his team, as head coach JJ Redick praised the rookie guard during a previous conversation with ESPN.
"I've just been impressed with the person that he is," Redick said. "And to deal with ... frankly, bullsh-t because of who his dad is and just keep a level head about it and be a class act says a lot about him, says a lot about that family."