A moment from last season that got a lot of attention was a confrontation between ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. Both of them are powerhouses in their respective fields and it was clear that James did not like how he and his son Bronny were being talked about on TV airwaves.
Smith notably talked about Bronny’s struggles and LeBron’s parenting style on ESPN’s First Take after L.A.’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Bronny, who got rotation minutes, struggled on both ends of the floor.
When LeBron confronted the media star at a Lakers home game, it sparked a massive uproar and it was clear that there was no love lost between the two. Since then, Smith has made it clear that he is not happy with James and even recently went as far to say he is fine never speaking to him again, via Underdog:
"But if I never EVER speak to him again in life, I'm good with it."@stephenasmith addressing his current relationship with LeBron James on @GilsArenaShow. pic.twitter.com/yRdgqhS9pt
— Underdog (@Underdog) August 15, 2025
After the altercation last season, Smith said that he and James don’t like each other so the ship to make amends has sailed.
This isn’t uncommon with Smith there have been times on First Take where he has said outlandish things to garner clicks and attention. Given how big each of Smith’s and LeBron’s images is, fireworks understandably ensued with both sides believing they are in the right.
At this point, both have said their peace and it appears this saga is complete. To his credit, Smith said that he still respects James as a player, just not as a person. That feeling appears to be mutual as LeBron let his feelings about the ESPN talking head be known during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, which is likely the only time he will address it.
Adam Silver gives thoughts on LeBron James-Stephen A. Smith drama
To put it into perspective of how talked about this drama was, NBA commissioner Adam Silver even gave his two cents. This is a conversation that other professional commissioners typically due not have and focus on the state of their respective sports.
But Silver offered a more rationale approach when talking about a touchy subject that features two powerful people. He wants conversations to revolve around basketball and wishes that it did not cross the line of becoming personal business between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith, which is understandable.
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