After being confronted by Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James, ESPN’s Stephen A Smith updated their relationship in a recent rant. James didn’t hold back in confronting Smith during a 113-109 overtime win against the New York Knicks on March 6. Since then, the NBA world has weighed in on the brief altercation, including Smith, who addressed his relationship with LeBron weeks after the standoff.
Smith reiterated that his harsh criticism was never toward Bronny James but rather LeBron himself, and he stands by it, per Stephen A Smith.
“I was never s******* on Bronny James. I wouldn’t do that to the James family,” Smith said. “I was talking about one person and one person only. We may never speak in life again. I’m fine with it. I get paid to talk about folks, not to them. I cover the league. You play, I watch, dissect, analyze, and broadcast. We don’t have to communicate. We damn sure don’t have to say hello to each other. We don’t have to do none of that.”
Still, Smith is confident that his relationship with James soured well before Bronny entered the NBA to play for the Lakers.
“[LeBron James and I] don’t get along, and there’s a multitude of reasons why, I’ve alluded to some of them, but we know what the biggest reason is: I ain’t Shannon Sharpe, it ain’t GOAT status this way. My GOAT is Michael Jordan,” Smith added. “35,000 points, eclipsing Kareem Abdul Jabbar with over 38,000. Ultimately, 40,000. Now, 50,000. Another All-Star appearance. Another 50-point game. Whatever. Ain’t my GOAT. I watch the game. I’m a student of the game. I know a GOAT when I see one.”
“[LeBron James and I] don’t get along… the biggest reason is: I ain’t Shannon Sharpe, it ain’t GOAT status this way. My GOAT is Michael Jordan… I’m a student of the game. I know a GOAT when I see one.”
—Stephen A. Smith
(via @stephenasmith)pic.twitter.com/HHEQj0JqGD
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 19, 2025
Draymond Green rips Stephen A Smith for beef with LeBron James
Amid ESPN’s Stephen A Smith getting called out, Warriors veteran Draymond Green defended Lakers’ LeBron James. Green believes Smith crossed the line regarding his verbiage toward James, per the Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.
“Calling another man weak? That’s just … Not basketball. Which is actually what ‘Bron was saying in the first place,” Green said. “Like, let’s keep it basketball because calling a man weak, that’s not basketball. And you’re paid to talk about basketball. You call ‘Bron weak for stepping to you, but you’re taking shots at him as a father on TV. Behind a camera. Most would say that’s weak.”
Draymond Green calls Stephen A. Smith weak for taking shots at LeBron James as a father and puts him on blast for calling LeBron weak for confronting him over Bronny.
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The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/F1WWM85Svc
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) March 15, 2025
It’ll be intriguing to see if Smith and James cross paths during the postseason and if a conversation transpires between them.
The post Stephen A. Smith gets brutally honest on Lakers’ LeBron James relationship appeared first on ClutchPoints.
