Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James’ long-standing feud was reignited when the ESPN personality recently accused the NBA star of using his son Bronny as a shield in their dispute during a Rolling Stone interview.
Smith told the outlet that despite their mutual disdain for each other, he would continue to cover James fairly.
“I don’t like him, and he don’t like me,” he said. “He’s one of the greatest players who’s ever lived. I’m going to show him that respect, and I’m going to cover him objectively. When he does great, I’m gonna applaud. When he doesn’t do great, I’m not gonna applaud.”
One of those times, he’s not applauding? The Los Angeles Lakers star’s confrontation with him on the court this past season.
LeBron went after him in a highly contentious public moment because the basketball analyst pointed out that Bronny isn’t, nor will he ever be, a real NBA player.
LeBron Hiding Behind His Son Bronny James
LeBron James’s cowardly attempt to force a smaller sports journalist into favorable coverage of his son, Bronny, should have been met with more disdain than it was by other media members. And frankly, it should have resulted in some sort of punishment from the league.
Smith, though, was certainly disgusted by LeBron’s actions. And he told Rolling Stone that it was pretty pathetic how the basketball icon acted.
“He hid behind his son, tried to make something out of nothing, as if I was dogging his son, which I was not,” Smith said. “The real issue was we don’t like each other. And he used that as an excuse to confront me. I got it.”
First of all, LeBron forced the Lakers to take Bronny James in the second round of the NBA draft, handing him a four-year, multi-million-dollar guaranteed contract, even though he’s not a very good basketball player.
But he is an NBA player. As such, he’s subject to criticism whether LeBron likes it or not.
What Started it All?
Smith pleaded with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the middle of the season last year to end the failed Bronny experiment.
“I am pleading with LeBron James as a father: stop this. Stop this,” he said at the time. “We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad.”
That’s what presumably raised the ire of King James. Perfectly legitimate criticism, and this is coming from someone who thinks Smith is oftentimes a dolt who performs for clicks rather than a serious analyst.
Smith was so angry after LeBron stared him down that he considered swinging on the 6′ 9″, 250 lb forward if he had actually touched him.
I would have gotten my ass kicked because if that man put his hands on me I would’ve immediately swung on him,” said the ESPN personality. “Immediately. That I’m not going to tolerate.”
It’s good that it didn’t escalate to that point. But it’s a bad look for the NBA that their top star thinks he can intimidate reporters for daring to provide commentary he doesn’t think is accurate.
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