On March 6 during a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks, a viral moment unfolded when LeBron James approached Stephen A. Smith at courtside and confronted him directly. According to Smith, James said, “Stop f-ing with my son. That’s my f***ing son. Stop f-ing with my son.” Smith later said he offered to continue the discussion privately, but “LeBron walked away.”
Smith appeared on his show shortly after to explain: “That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me. That was a parent. That was a father.” He emphasized that while he understood a father’s protective instinct, the public setting and viral nature of the moment frustrated him.
Underlying Tension and Themes
The confrontation stemmed from Smith’s prior criticism of James’s son, Bronny James, particularly his early status in the league. Smith said: “I believe he’s one way publicly and another way privately.” He asserted that “things he has said to people… have gotten back to me” and claimed that, “If it were up to him, I wouldn’t be where I am at today… it’s some low, low s**t.” Smith stated plainly: “I don’t like his a**.”
He also made clear that his coverage of sports compels him to critique players regardless of personal feelings: “He’s one of the greatest players who’s ever lived. I’m going to show him that respect, and I’m going to cover him objectively. When he does great, I’m gonna applaud. When he doesn’t do great, I’m not gonna applaud.”
Meanwhile, James responded publicly during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show: “Never would I ever not allow people who talk about the sport to criticize players about what they do on the court.” But he added that when personal comments crossed into remarks about his family, he saw a duty to “protect my damn household” and “protect the players.” He mocked the media swirl around the incident, telling Smith: “Relax, bro. Like, relax, like seriously.”
Smith remarked that he expected James or his circle to reach out privately but said they did not: “LeBron knows how to get in contact with me if he wanted to. He never called.” He acknowledged the confrontation changed things for him professionally: “When I tell y’all you can’t measure the level of how pissed off I have been over that… there is no level of disrespect that has ever been accorded to me in my life more than what he did.”
He also clarified that while he does not seek further engagement, he is ready to move on: “If I never speak to him again in life, I’m good with it.”