LeBron James doesn’t play about Bronny, like any good father to his son. Stephen A. Smith has commented on Bronny multiple times this season, and finally it came to a head last night during the Knicks and Lakers game.
LeBron James scored 31 points during the game, but the night’s story that went viral on social media featured James arguing with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who was courtside with agent Ari Emanuel and actor/writer Larry David, before the game even started.
Lakers rookie Bronny James, who has struggled in his debut season as an NBA player and whose eligibility to play in the league has been regularly questioned, including by Smith, has been the target of what James saw as slights.
Speaking on the ESPN program “First Take,” Smith stated in January, “As a father, I am begging with LeBron James. Put an end to this. Put an end to this. We are all aware that Bronny James’ father is the reason he is in the NBA.”
During the first segment on “First Take,” Smith spent 10 minutes on Friday delving deeply into the back and forth he and James have had on the matter. Despite his insistence that he did not want to discuss anything, he went into great detail about it. It appears that Smith was more troubled by James’ methods of doing so in such a public setting than by what James said, even if he claimed to be able to relate to James as a parent defending his son.
“Clearly took exception to some of the things he heard me say, and confronted me about it,” Smith said. “For the record, his agent and friend, Rich Paul, has my number. Maverick Carter, who works under him, has my number. LeBron James knows how to be in contact with me if he wanted to. He never called. But had he called ultimately, I would have accepted that call.
“Had he wanted to see me, I would have flown out and I would have had a conversation man-to-man. But that is not what he elected to do.”
LeBron James had some words for Stephen A Smith 😳
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) March 7, 2025
