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LeBron James used ESPN airwaves to address a feud with one of the network’s biggest stars.
During a detailed interview with Pat McAfee that aired on Wednesday, James discussed for the first time his confrontation with Stephen A. Smith, which took place during a 113-109 victory over the Knicks on March 6.
“He completely missed the whole point,” James stated. “I would never prevent those who discuss sports from criticizing players for their performance on the court. Criticism is part of your job, and it’s a natural aspect of the game. But when the conversation becomes personal, it’s my responsibility not just to stand up for my household but also to protect the players. Many in the media, including him — and I know he’ll be thrilled to hear me mentioning him — take it too far.”
James, according to Smith, had an issue with comments the ESPN star had made about his son Bronny.
“I am pleading with LeBron James as a father: stop this. Stop this,” Smith expressed on the January 29 episode of “First Take” on ESPN. “We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad.”
Smith has since talked at length about the incident — on ESPN, on his YouTube show and in interviews with other outlets.
“I turn around and he’s right here in my face and says, ‘Yo, you gotta stop talking s–t about my son [Bronny]. You gotta stop f–king with my son. That’s my son, that’s my son!’” Smith said in an interview on “Gil’s Arena” podcast.
James mocked him for the number of times he’s discussed the incident.
“He’s like on a Taylor Swift tour run right now,” James said. “It started off with ‘I didn’t want to address it… but since the video came out I feel the need to address.’ You couldn’t wait till the video comes out so you can address it.”
LeBron suffered a groin injury in the Lakers’ next game against the Celtics and returned to the court on Saturday after a two-week absence.
Bronny has played some of his best basketball since the controversy erupted.
He scored a career-high 17 points for the injury-depleted Lakers in a loss against the Bucks on March 20 then he exploded for 39 points on Monday for the Lakers’ G League team.
Bronny has spent his rookie season bouncing between the NBA and G League after being drafted in the second round by the Lakers.