LeBron James isn’t buying into the storyline Stephen A. Smith has pushed about their tense confrontation. The Los Angeles Lakers forward strode up to the “First Take” host during the March 6 game against the New York Knicks.
As spectators noted, the Olympic athlete made it unmistakably clear to the sports commentator that he did not want his son, Bronny James, 40, mentioned in Smith’s NBA breakdowns.
Ahead of tipoff for the Lakers-Celtics matchup on March 9, the basketball icon and “NBA on ESPN” co-host Richard Jefferson briefly touched on the viral incident. Footage of the exchange surfaced online, offering a glimpse of James’ feelings about his rival’s account of the moment.
Audio in the edited clip suggests that Jefferson pressed his former teammate about the incident. James is heard declaring, “That’s the only thing I’m tripping…I don’t give a f—k” and “Once he talks about how ‘I’m pleading you as a father,’ I can’t.”
Smith offered his recap of the encounter on the March 7 edition of “First Take” as well as on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on YouTube.
On the latter platform, he stated, “That wasn’t a basketball player talking to me last night. That was a dad. He rolled up on me as a father. That was not a basketball player talking to me.”
A similar sentiment echoed his televised reflection. He also sharply criticized the league’s star for turning his son into a target of criticism in a bid to fulfill his dream of playing alongside him before his retirement.
Bronny was drafted 55th by the Lakers in 2024 after a single season at the University of Southern California. Smith is among the many critics who believe the 20-year-old has yet to prove the tools needed to thrive in the NBA.
Nevertheless, with James’ latest remarks now public, fans have produced a broader array of responses.
According to one user on Twitter, “Once you judge a man as a father you have crossed the line. That’s why LeBron approached him about it.” On YouTube, where the audio of James and Jefferson can also be accessed, another commenter argued that the four-time champion’s actions have only heightened scrutiny of Bronny.
“This feels like a soccer dad defending his son. But his son is 22!! He believes he’s helping – yet he must let his son stand on his own,” wrote one viewer.
A third commenter added, “LeBron always with the drama, his ego is out of control, thinks this makes him a great father, please retire so Bronny can have peace.”
James has spent 22 seasons in the league and has not signaled retirement, despite being the oldest player on the court.
