All the smoke inbound … LeBron James didn’t hold back when addressing his recent sideline confrontation with ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, doubling down on his defense of his son, Bronny James, during a candid appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (March 26).
The future Hall of Famer took playful aim at Smith’s frequent discussions about their viral exchange, quipping, “He’s on, like, a Taylor Swift tour run right now.” James then mocked Smith’s initial reluctance to address the incident, saying, “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.’ Are you kidding me? If there was one person that couldn’t wait until the video had dropped so you could address it, it was your a. Like, seriously?”
In what can be nothing short of a heated moment, it all occurred during the Lakers-Knicks game on March 6, when James approached Smith courtside and told him, “Stop shtting on my son.”* The exchange stemmed from Smith’s repeated commentary about Bronny’s NBA prospects, with the analyst previously stating on First Take, “I am pleading with LeBron James as a father: Stop this. We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad.”
James clarified that his issue wasn’t with fair criticism of his game but with what he perceived as personal attacks. “He completely missed the whole point. The whole point,” James said. “Never would I ever not allow people who talk about the sport to criticize players about what they do on the court. That is your job to criticize, or when a guy isn’t performing. That is all part of the game.”
He continued, “When you take it and get personal with it, it’s my job not only to protect my damn household but protect the players.”
In what can be described as vintage LeBron fashion, he couldn’t resist a lighthearted jab at Smith’s reaction to the spotlight. “I know he’s going to be happy as hell when he hears me talking about him. He’s going to get home and grab some ice cream out of the fking freezer and sit in his chair in his tighty-whities on the couch. Relax, bro,” James joked.
Smith later responded on his own platform, insisting his comments were directed at LeBron, not Bronny. “What I would have said… ‘I never would have spoken negatively about your son, I was talking about you, LeBron James,’” Smith explained. “I have nothing but good wishes for Bronny James. I hope that he flourishes into an NBA star… I sincerely hope he’s the exception — he’s a wonderful kid.”