Stephen A Smith and LeBron James have made it abundantly clear that there's great animosity for each other. But just in case, the ESPN talk show figure is clarifying that he's got no intentions of repairing their relationship. As caught by Complex and The Neighborhood Talk the First Take analyst went on Gilbert Arenas' podcast, Gil's Arena, to hammer his hatred for the Laker home.
"There's no relationship. He doesn't like me and I don't like him," Smith began. He was asked if anyone could mediate or help make things civil between them. However, he was adamant that there's nothing to be done. "I don't talk about him unless I'm asked... This is what I do for a living."
Outside of having to do his job, Stephen A has "no desire to talk about him at all." He did give him his props, though, adding, "He is, in my mind, the second greatest player in the history of basketball. He’s been an incredible ambassador to the game of basketball. His respect has been earned, not given."
However, that's where the praise stops. but that’s the basketball player, not the man.”
Stephen A Smith & LeBron James
"But that’s the basketball player, not the man." He then said there are nasty secrets that he plans on not bringing light to. "People don’t know the things that have happened behind the scenes, the kind of things that have been engaged in an effort to hurt me. There’s a lot of sh*t that I know that I don’t say… If I never, ever speak to him in life, I’m good with it," he concluded.
LeBron James has also been incredibly clear on where he stands with Smith, disparaging him on his own network and on the show right after his, The Pat McAfee Show.
"He's like on a Taylor Swift tour run right now," James said weeks after their viral interaction revolving around the coverage of his son Bronny, went viral. "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.' Motherf*cker, are you kidding me? If there's one person who couldn't wait for the video to drop so you could address it, it's your a*s."
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