Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has finally addressed his now-viral confrontation with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
James offered his side of the story while taking a sharp jab at the sports commentator.
LeBron James roasts Stephen A. Smith and defends NBA players in unfiltered Pat McAfee interview
“He’s like on a Taylor Swift tour run right now…He couldn’t wait for the video to come out…”
– LeBron on Stephen A. Smith
(Via @PatMcAfeeShow )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 26, 2025
LeBron James breaks silence on Stephen A. Smith
The tension between the two began earlier this month when James approached Smith courtside during a Lakers-Knicks matchup, criticizing him for his remarks about Bronny James, LeBron’s son and Lakers teammate.
Smith later revealed on his podcast that James told him to “stop f-ing with my son,” in response to critical comments made about Bronny’s role in the league.
While Smith insisted that his words were directed at LeBron rather than his son, the incident has since sparked an ongoing public feud between the two.
Now, James is calling out Smith for amplifying the drama, comparing his response to a Taylor Swift-style media tour.
“He’s like on a Taylor Swift tour run right now,”James said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday.
“It started off with, ‘I didn’t want to address it. I wasn’t going to address it, but since the video came out, I feel the need to address it.’ Motherf-er, are you kidding me? If there’s one person who couldn’t wait for the video to drop so you could address it, it’s your a-.”
James argued that Smith completely missed the point of their confrontation, emphasizing that criticism in sports is fair game, but attacking players personally is where he draws the line.
“Never would I ever not allow people to talk about the sport, criticize players about what they do on the court. That is your job,”James explained.
“But when you take it and when you get personal with it, it’s my job to not only protect my d- household but protect the players.”
The four-time NBA champion didn’t stop there.
He went on to mock Smith’s reaction to the situation, predicting how the analyst would respond to his latest comments.
“And I know he’s going to be happy as hell, he’s going to be smiling from ear to ear when he hears me talking about it. Oh my god, he’s going to get home and grab some ice cream out of the f-ing freezer and sit in his chair in his tighty whities on the couch. Like dude, relax bro. Relax.”
While James kept his remarks brief, he suggested that media figures like Smith have become too comfortable pushing the boundaries with athletes, adding that the NBA is one of the most scrutinized sports leagues in the world.
This latest exchange only adds fuel to the fire in what has become one of the most talked-about media feuds in recent months.