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[Saba Sports News] Stephen A. Smith has had plenty to say about being publicly confronted by LeBron James during a Lakers game earlier this month — and now, LeBron is finally telling his side of the story.
A viral video from the March 6 matchup against the New York Knicks showed LeBron animatedly speaking to Smith during a timeout. It quickly became clear that the exchange was over Smith’s critical commentary on LeBron’s son, Bronny James.
Smith admitted he was caught off guard but said he understood LeBron’s reaction as a father. When asked about the moment during an appearance on *The Pat McAfee Show* Wednesday, LeBron didn’t hold back — and took a shot at Smith’s handling of the situation.
“He’s like on a Taylor Swift tour run right now,” LeBron joked. “It started with, ‘I didn’t want to address it. I wasn’t gonna address it, but since the video came out…’ Motherf—er, are you kidding me? If there’s one person who couldn’t wait for that video to drop so he could address it, it’s your a—.”
LeBron went on to say Smith “completely missed the whole point” of his frustration. While James confirmed he wasn’t upset about basketball criticism, he drew a line at personal commentary.
“Never would I ever stop someone from talking about the game or criticizing performance — that’s part of the job,” LeBron said. “But when it gets personal, that’s when I step in. It’s my job to protect my household — and to protect the players.”
Smith has been vocal in his belief that Bronny isn’t ready for the NBA and should be in the G League full-time — arguing that LeBron put his son in a tough position. While Bronny has shown signs of improvement recently, he’s still averaged just 2.3 points on 32.7% shooting across 23 games.
The reality is, Bronny likely wouldn’t be getting NBA minutes if not for his last name. With a father-son duo on the same team — something the league has never seen — the scrutiny is unprecedented. And while Smith and others feel the coverage is fair, LeBron clearly sees a line that’s been crossed.