Stephen A. Smith Hints At Behind-The-Scenes Sabotage By LeBron James
· Yahoo Sports
Stephen A. Smith is pulling back the curtain on one of the most talked-about tensions in sports media. In a new sit-down interview with Graham Bensinger, the ESPN personality opened up about his complicated history with LeBron James, suggesting the conflict went far beyond televised debate segments and hot-take commentary. While Stephen A. Smith stopped short of revealing specific details, he strongly implied that issues behind the scenes may have impacted his professional life, something he says he has never publicly addressed until now. The conversation also touched on the infamous courtside confrontation between Stephen A. Smith and Lebron James, the role colleagues played in helping him move forward, and why he ultimately chose not to hold onto resentment.
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Stephen A. Smith Says LeBron Confronted Him Over Bronny Comments Courtside
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGAThe tension between Smith and the NBA superstar traces back to commentary about LeBron’s son, Bronny James. During a January episode of "First Take," Smith argued that Bronny should have spent his rookie season developing in the G League, suggesting he was not yet ready for the NBA and implying his roster spot was influenced by his father’s status. The remarks sparked backlash, and just weeks later, LeBron confronted Smith during a timeout at a Los Angeles Lakers game in March 2025.
Smith later described that moment publicly, recalling how the exchange unfolded courtside. “I turn around and [LeBron]’s right here in my face and says, ‘Yo, you gotta stop talking sh-t about my son [Bronny]. You gotta stop f-cking with my son. That’s my son, that’s my son!'” he claimed.
According to Smith, he attempted to suggest a private conversation after the game, but he claims James declined.
Cryptic Comments About LeBron James Conflict
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGADuring the new interview with Graham Bensinger, Smith hinted that the situation may have involved more than public disagreement. “I can't talk about it, but that's exactly what I said. And I've never talked about it. And I won't, other than to say I know that to be true. And that is, that's unfortunate,” Smith said.
He went on to explain that he felt some confirmation of his concerns after James discussed him on another sports show. “And outside of that, it was validated when he went on Pat McAfee's show, because you went on the show that comes on after me to talk about me and to disrespect me," Smith went on.
"Tidy white's on, and he did this and that, and all of this other stuff, and like, ‘Oh, really? So that's what we doing.’ So, you know, that was validation," the ESPN personality continued. "But I've known about several things in the past, but I'm beyond all of that. Like I said, I’ve moved past it.”
Smith then declined to elaborate further.
Stephen A. Smith Credits Inner Circle For Keeping Him Grounded
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGASmith also credited several friends and colleagues with helping him reach a healthier perspective after the situation, telling Bensinger, “Well, I would tell you, there's people that helped. Charles Barkley got on me. Kenny Smith is like a brother to me, got on me. Shaq, and then guys internally, Ryan Clark, Swagu Marcus Spears. I love those brothers. They're my brothers. And they weren't the only ones.”
When Bensinger noted those individuals had his back, Smith agreed with a simple, “Yes.”
Why He Won’t Hold A Grudge Against LeBron James
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGAPerhaps the most revealing part of the interview came when Smith explained why he refused to stay angry, even after feeling personally targeted. “My daughters love LeBron. And I had to look at them and say, ‘Yeah, he is phenomenal.’ They ain't lying. He's one of the greatest ever,” Smith said.
He continued by reflecting on maturity and perspective, explaining, “And so, again, you can have differences with people, but if you're a grownup, if you're a man, you're able to compartmentalize and say, we might have a disagreement. We might have a beef… It doesn't mean you should look at him in a negative kind of way.”
Stephen A. Smith Says He’s Too Old For Bitterness After LeBron Conflict
Janet Gough / AFF-USA.COM / MEGASmith acknowledged that he may have impacted James emotionally as well. “I might have affected him in ways that other people haven't, and that might have provoked him to do whatever, I don't know," he admitted. "But at the end of the day, I just know that I'm 58 years old and I'm not interested in walking around bitter and with a grudge and with all of this other nonsense.”