LeBron James and ESPN's Stephen A. Smith got into a heated exchange following the Los Angeles Lakers defeating the New York Knicks on Thursday night. Smith, the most recognizable name in sports media, has been on the receiving end of plenty of criticism this season. Particularly in how he and his home network choose to cover the NBA, which has led to a season-long debate over what factors are truly responsible for the league's sagging ratings. Fans recently criticized First Take, the Smith-hosted daily debate show, for having Twitch streamer Kai Cenat on to re-litigate the Michael Jordan-LeBron James conversation, a segment that took center stage over the happenings around the league the night before.
Bronny James, the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and son of LeBron James, has also been a regular target of ESPN's coverage, becoming the most scrutinized second-round pick in recent memory despite receiving playing time in just 18 games. James has previously had issues with the way ESPN covers Bronny, and after the Lakers narrowly defeated the Knicks 113-109, he addressed Stephen A. Smith, who was sitting courtside at the game. It is not entirely clear what James said, but fans speculate that James said "keep my son out of this s**t, bro," as Smith shook his head and sat back down.
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Are LeBron James and Stephen A Smith Feuding?
On the January 29 episode of First Take, Stephen A. Smith "pleaded with" LeBron James to stop encouraging the Lakers to give Bronny minutes. "We all know he's only in the NBA because of his dad," Smith said. On February 1, Klutch Sports (the agency that represents James, owned by close friend Rich Paul) reportedly asked Smith to pull back on his coverage of Bronny, which Smith took exception to on his radio show. This tension has been simmering for a while, and it seems that James finally addressed Smith in person. This exchange also comes after James criticized the expectations that come with being the face of the league, which several ESPN personalities responded to by once again negatively comparing him to Michael Jordan.
As for Smith, he recently inked a $100 million extension with ESPN to stay with the network for five more years. The new contract reportedly allows him to scale back his appearances on First Take and NBA Countdown so he can continue to pursue his external interests. Smith has recently grown more outspoken about his personal politics, flirting with the idea of a presidential campaign in 2028, though he still claims to not have any interest in a run. We will see how Smith responds to and moves past this exchange with basketball's most recognizable star.
