On Thursday, March 6, following the Los Angeles Lakers 113-109 overtime win over the New York Knicks, LeBron James confronted Stephen A. Smith on the sidelines.
The interaction between James and Smith quickly went viral. James cut a frustrated figure during the discussion. Speaking on a March 7 episode of ‘The Stephen A. Smith Show,’ the veteran ESPN reporter revealed what James had said to him.
“He approached me during the game, and he said, ‘stop f’in with my son,'” Smith said. “I said, ‘what?’ … And I saw how furious he was. I said ‘we can talk about it later.’ He said ‘nah, f that, stop f’in with my son, that’s my son.’ I said ‘alright dawg, fine’ and he walked away, that’s all he said. I knew what he was talking about. I’ve spoken about this before…A few players were upset at me about that. I think one of those players was Draymond Green, who I haven’t spoken to since.”
The altercation stemmed from comments Smith had previously made about Bronny James, who was drafted to the Lakers organization with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft.
James Jr. has struggled during his debut season. In 18 games, he’s averaging 1.4 points, 0.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists. Smith has been vocally critical of the rookie guard throughout the season.
Smith Also Addressed LeBron James on First Take
Earlier on March 7, Smith described his run-in with James during an episode of ESPN’s First Take.
“That was LeBron James coming up to me, unexpectedly, I might add,” Smith said. “To confront me about making sure that I mind what I say about his son. I can’t repeat the words, because they’re not suitable for FCC airwaves…That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me. That was a parent. That was a father. And I can’t sit here and feel angry or feel slighted by LeBron James in any way in that regard.”
Smith continued.
“By all accounts, he’s obviously a wonderful family man, a wonderful father, who cares very very deeply about his son…He clearly took exception to some of the things he heard me say, and he confronted me about it…LeBron James knows how to get in contact with me if he wanted to. He never called…But that is not what he elected to do. Instead, he elected to confront me while I was sitting courtside.”
Lakers’ LeBron James is Having a Fantastic Season
Despite turning 40 earlier this season, James is putting together an All-NBA caliber season. The veteran superstar remains one of the most productive players in the league, and is still among the top-10 most talented players in the world.
In his 57 outings this season, James is averaging 25.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.5 assists. He’s shooting 51.8% from the field and 39.1% from deep. The Lakers have been surging since acquiring Luka Doncic ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
As such, James will likely feel confident the Lakers can challenge for another championship, either this season or in the near future. With the opportunity for further success clearly on the table, James will likely remain with the Lakers for at least another season, as he continues to defy the aging process.
