Stephen A. Smith Says LeBron James Confrontation Over Bronny Was “Weak” But Understandable [Video]

Stephen A. Smith is shedding more light on his recent viral confrontation with LeBron James, sharing his side of the story during an appearance on the Gil’s Arena podcast with Gilbert Arenas.

The confrontation, which occurred after the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the New York Knicks last Thursday, saw LeBron directly confront Smith courtside over his comments about Bronny James. The heated exchange was caught on video and quickly went viral.

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Smith, who has been vocal about Bronny’s path to the NBA, confirmed that James took issue with his remarks. “I thought it was weak. I thought it was some bulls**t,” Smith admitted on the podcast. “But in the moment, I knew I was listening to a father.”

Smith recounted that the encounter happened during the third quarter, not after the game as many assumed. Sitting courtside with Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David, Smith said LeBron approached him during a timeout.

“He said, ‘You gotta stop talking sh*t about my son. That’s my son.’ And I was like, ‘What?'” Smith recalled. “He said, ‘Nah, fu*k that. You gotta stop f**king with my son.’ I said, ‘Yo, let’s talk later.’ But he just kept going, and then he walked off.”

Smith reflected on the exchange, explaining that he initially didn’t plan to discuss it publicly until the video went viral the next morning. “Once it went viral, ESPN told me I had to address it,” Smith said.

When speaking about his reaction on First Take, Smith emphasized that he saw the confrontation as coming from a concerned father, not just an NBA superstar. “That was a father talking to me, and that’s what threw me off,” Smith explained. “If he’d said it was about me calling him out as a parent, I would’ve responded differently.”

Smith also revealed that LeBron’s conversation with Richard Jefferson after the game confirmed that James took offense to perceived criticism of his parenting. However, Smith stood by his stance, reiterating that his criticism wasn’t aimed at Bronny personally but rather at LeBron’s role in Bronny’s NBA journey.

“I wasn’t talking about Bronny. I was really talking about LeBron because of the position Bronny was in,” Smith said.

Smith concluded by acknowledging that while the moment caught him off guard, he wasn’t offended. “As a father, I get it. I’m not insulted. I don’t have animosity towards LeBron for it.”