LeBron James retaliated on the ESPN star Stephen A. Smith in an interview Wednesday with the colleague of the Sports Pundit, Pat McAfee, after a video of the star of Los Angeles Lakers faces Smith has surfaced earlier this month.
James appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” and explained how the media cover the NBA.
He said Smith was on a “Taylor Swift tour at the moment” and seemed to make fun of the way Smith approached the viral clip when he said he did not want to remedy it initially.
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The Los Angeles Lakers striker LeBron James, on the right, led the striker of Magic Orlando Franz Wagner (22) during the first half of March 24, 2025, in Orlando, Florida. (AP photo / John Raoux)
“Motherf — Uh, do you laugh at me? If there is a person who could not wait for the video to fall for you to remedy it, it’s your … like, seriously?”
Then James became a little more serious.
“And another (thing). He completely missed the point, everything that never allows you to talk about sport, criticize players of what they do on the field.
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LeBron James (23) and Bronny James (9) from Los Angeles Lakers on the field for the first time in a match against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Crypto.com Arena on October 22, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Allen Berezovsky / Getty Images)
“I think a lot of media, including him, and I know he’s going to be happy like hell, he’s going to smile in one ear to the other when he heard me talk about him. … As, relax brother.”
The dispute concerned Smith’s remarks on LeBron’s son, Bonny. LeBron’s eldest son was an athlete outside the secondary competition that played a season at the USC while overcoming a cardiac arrest before deciding to become a pro.
The Lakers selected Bronny James in the draft last summer, and he and LeBron marked history earlier in the season by becoming the first father-son duo to be on the field together.
Smith said Bronny James was only in the NBA “because of” LeBron. The quadruple NBA champion told Smith that he did not like the remarks.
Los Angeles Lakers striker LeBron James watches his teammates play in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs in Los Angeles on March 17, 2025. (AP photo / Kyusung Gong)
“He was not a basketball player who confronted me. He was a parent. He was a father,” said Smith earlier this month on ESPN. “I can’t sit here and get angry or feel despised by LeBron James in this regard. By all accounts, he is obviously a wonderful father and father who cares very, very deeply about his son.
“And, on the basis of some of the comments he had heard – or should I say that I think he thought he heard – clearly expressed himself to some of the things he heard me say, and he confronted me on this subject.”
