LeBron James GOES OFF on Stephen A. Smith In Explosive Interview

March 27, 2025 ,


LeBron James responded to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith during a Wednesday interview on The Pat McAfee Show, addressing a recent viral video that showed the Lakers star confronting Smith.

James used the platform to critique NBA media coverage, specifically calling out Smith for his reaction to the clip. Mocking Smith’s claim that he initially didn’t want to discuss the video, LeBron said:

"Motherf---er, are you kidding me? If there’s one person who couldn’t wait for that video to drop so you could talk about it, it’s you. Seriously?"

He then shifted to a more serious tone:

"And another thing—he completely missed the point. Never in my life would I try to stop people from talking about the game or criticizing players’ on-court performance. That’s your job—to analyze, to call out when someone isn’t playing well. That’s part of basketball. But when it gets personal, my job is to protect my household and my fellow players."

James added that much of the media, including Smith, thrives on controversy, joking that Smith would be "smiling from ear to ear" hearing himself mentioned. "Relax, bro," he said.

The tension stemmed from Smith’s comments about LeBron’s son, Bronny James. 

After overcoming cardiac arrest during his lone season at USC, Bronny entered the NBA Draft and was selected by the Lakers, making history alongside his father as the league’s first active father-son duo.

Smith had previously argued that Bronny was only in the NBA "because of" LeBron—a claim the four-time champion took issue with.

Reflecting on their confrontation, Smith later acknowledged on ESPN: "That wasn’t a basketball player coming at me—that was a parent, a father. I can’t be mad at LeBron for that. By all accounts, he’s a great family man who deeply cares about his son. If he heard things he disagreed with, of course he’d speak up."


Smith Fires Back

Smith responded shortly after on his podcast, but things took a new turn when LeBron posted a video on his Instagram of Smith boxing with two torn rotator cuffs.



Smith then responded to LeBron James' Instagram post on First Take, calling him out for being "petty." He also questioned why LeBron wasn’t at Kobe Bryant’s memorial or Dwyane Wade’s Hall of Fame induction, despite their close relationships.

Smith argued that LeBron’s social media presence doesn’t always match his real-life actions. The debate has fans divided—some agree with Stephen A., while others think he’s stirring drama.

Either way, this feud has taken off like a runaway train with no intention of stopping. Stay tuned for updates.  


Image - Kirby Lee-Imagn

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