Stephen A. Smith is not backing down from LeBron James following their viral one-on-one confrontation at the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks game on March 6. The sports commentator was seated courtside when the four-time NBA champion moved toward him during a timeout.
The tense moment was captured on video and quickly spread across the internet. Viewers watched an evidently heated James direct his words toward the journalist. From the perspective of a fan who filmed the exchange from several rows up, James loomed over Smith, who remained standing but was shown only from behind.
Lip readers alleged the basketball icon uttered, “Keep my son out of this stuff,” referencing the commentator’s remarks about Bronny James’ struggles to establish himself in professional basketball.
As the Ohio native walked away, Smith shook his head and sat down. “Stephen A. Smith suddenly forgot he had vocal cords when LeBron pulled up,” read a reaction to the heated moment.
A second person tweeted, “While Stephen A. is not a small man, he’d have to be wearing a full exoskeleton to make up for the difference between him and LeBron in height, width, and weight. What’s he supposed to do other than keep his calm? All that animated talk is for TV.”
.@stephenasmith describes his moment with LeBron James last night at Lakers-Knicks. pic.twitter.com/ZZyUnOOwYZ
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 7, 2025
For comparison, James stands at 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighs around 250 pounds, whereas Smith is about 6-1 and significantly lighter than the Olympic icon.
“LeBron handled this like a child… Smith is 5 foot 4 and 123 pounds soaking wet. LeBron is a giant. This isn’t about being a man or a father. It’s a narcissist putting on a show to a man half his size,” read a third comment. Conversely, another viewpoint stated, “Look at LeBron running away. He was scared of Stephen.”
The ESPN personality first broke his silence about the incident on a March 6 episode of “First Take,” admitting on-air that he was caught off guard.
Stephen A. Smith on Bronny’s performance last night vs. 76ers:
“I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father. Stop this. We all know Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad…”
(via @FirstTake)pic.twitter.com/AFpfOp8V0D— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 29, 2025
“That was LeBron James stepping up to me, unexpectedly I might add, to confront me about choosing my words regarding his son. I can’t repeat the words because they aren’t suitable for FCC airwaves,” Smith explained. He credited the athlete with being a stoic family man while not holding back in his response to the top scorer in the league.
Smith said the game was not the proper setting to settle the matter, and he would have agreed to meet privately with James if asked. “I wasn’t going to engage in a confrontation at that moment,” he stated.
Yet privately, “I would have told LeBron James that I would never speak ill of your son. I was aiming at you [LeBron]….I wish him nothing but success. I hope he grows into an NBA star.”
After the show, an X user remained convinced that the NBA great had managed to reach Smith. They wrote, LeBron got Stephen A shook about Bronny. He’s using his inside voice on First Take today. lol.”
The two men have never seen eye to eye, and “First Take” was only the first of Smith’s public comments about the clash. Later that night, on his YouTube program “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” Smith offered an even more candid take.
Smith began by stating that his aim was to clear the air and challenge the narratives that had been reported. The ESPN veteran noted that, despite some accounts, James did not call him out of his name. However, he could tell the NBA star was incredibly angry.
“He came up to me during the game and said, ‘Stop effing with my son! That’s my effing son! Stop effing with my son!’” Smith recalled. “I saw how furious he was, and I said, ‘We can talk about this later,’ [He said], ‘Nah F that! F that! Stop effing with my son!’ I replied, ‘Alright, man. Fine,’ and he walked away. That’s all there was to it.”
Smith acknowledged that he understood which comments had provoked James and noted that he had previously faced criticism from other players, including Draymond Green. He also criticized James for not reaching out to him privately about the matter. While Smith admits he is “sad” about how things unfolded, he also “respects” James as a father.
“I’m not here to blame LeBron James,” Smith stated. “That wasn’t a basketball player talking to me last night. It was a father. He came at me as a dad.”
