NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
Stephen A. Smith still thinks about LeBron James’ on-court confrontation, and he told a former NBA star why he felt the league’s all-time scoring leader had “groomed” him at the time.
Smith and James went viral earlier this year during a Los Angeles Lakers game, where the latter confronted the former in his courtside seat to apparently address Smith’s criticism of how the Lakers were handling Bronny James, the superstar’s son.
Smith revealed in March that the incident was due to his televised criticism of Bronny.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James still have some issues heading into the 2025-26 NBA season. (IMAGE)
“That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me. That was a father. That was a father,” Smith said on ESPN at the time. “I can’t sit here and get angry or feel belittled by LeBron James in that sense. By all indications, he’s obviously a wonderful family man and a father who cares very, very deeply about his son.
During a recent episode of “7PM In Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony,” Smith revisited the moment with the New York Knicks legend, saying that the circumstances of the conversation with James, as well as the way he appeared on camera, still don’t sit well with him.
ESPN STAR STEPHEN A SMITH WAKES UP BROWNS ROOKIE FOR ‘VERY DUMB’ COMMENTS ABOUT THE MEDIA
“The day he showed up on the court, it was the day my contract was announced and I had stayed with ESPN,” Smith explained on the podcast. “Go back and look at the camera angle… It’s 2025, we have technology everywhere. TNT is a nationally televised game. How come we have one angle, and the only angle you see is him and his face, but you see the back of my peanut head?”
Smith believes that considering James’ star status, there would have been many more camera angles on the courtside meeting.
“There’s no way you’re in an arena, you’re LeBron James, and the only angle anyone sees is a direct shot of you getting close to my face,” Smith added. “They don’t see any reaction. They don’t see anything. And that’s an accident?”
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith said Thursday that he doesn’t believe there is a Democratic candidate who can beat the Vance/Rubio presidential bid in 2028. (For Griffin/Getty)
Smith delved into the realm of conspiracy here, but held his ground while expressing his feelings about this potentially being an orchestrated confrontation.
“Damn, I did it,” Smith quickly responded to a question about whether or not he felt ready. “That’s how I feel. But it’s no big deal, it’s okay because I go on the air the next day and I’m like, ‘That’s a father reacting to his son.'”
And in case you were wondering, no, Smith and James have not reconciled. In fact, Smith made it clear how he feels about James.
Stephen A. Smith speaks on stage during the 2025 ForbesBLK Summit at the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center Morehouse College on October 9, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (For Griffin/Getty Images)
“I don’t like his ass, not one bit,” he said. “This goes back over a decade. I’m not going to go into detail about the things this man has tried to do to me. You don’t understand how far this man would go… If it were up to him, I wouldn’t be where I am today. These are very, very low things.”
The feud is real between these two, and it doesn’t look like there will be any resolution heading into the 2025-26 season this week.
