March 8, 2025
Smith spent the weekend addressing the tense dialog the James had with him.
Stephen A. Smith, who not too long ago signed a $100 million take care of ESPN, discovered himself in an enexpected trade with NBA star LeBron James over remarks he’s made about LeBron’s son, Bronny James Jr., throughout a courtside go to on March 6.
Smith spent the weekend addressing the tense dialog the elder James had with him, first on a March 7 episode of “First Take,” then later that evening by way of his podcast, “The Stephen A. Smith Present,” an episode which was met with criticism from each NBA gamers and NBA followers alike on social media.
In accordance with The Athletic, Smith said on the “First Take” program that though he understood that James was coming to him as a father, he nonetheless took exception to him approaching Smith in public about his feedback with out going by way of different channels which he deemed extra applicable.
“That was LeBron James coming as much as me, unexpectedly I would add, to confront me about ensuring that I thoughts what I say about his son,” Smith mentioned on “First Take,” whereas discussing a clip of the second, which had gone viral on social media. “Can’t repeat the phrases as a result of they ain’t suited to FCC airwaves. That’s what he was doing.”
Smith continued, “That wasn’t a basketball participant confronting me. That was a dad or mum, that was a father. And I can’t sit right here and be offended or really feel slighted by LeBron James in any approach in that regard. By all accounts, he’s clearly a beautiful household man and great father who cares very deeply about his son. And primarily based on among the feedback he had heard — or shall I say I believe he thought he heard — he clearly took exception to among the issues that he heard me say. And he confronted me about it.”
Following the dialogue on this system, Smith adopted that up by addressing the episode additional on his podcast, which obtained the eye of a former teammate of James’ Kevin Love, who posted a reply to Smith’s announcement that he was going to debate the matter on his podcast.
“You haven’t any selection? lol as a result of it went viral? lol you didn’t need to need to? lol you wouldn’t have? lol,” Love wrote, apparently criticizing Smith’s resolution to proceed the dialog about James confronting him.
Later, Smith would tackle Love’s publish, by way of his podcast, writing in a quote tweet “Addressing this now” together with a hyperlink to his podcast.
On the podcast, Smith additionally addressed feedback made by Charles Barkley on “Inside The NBA.”
Barkley, an NBA Corridor of Famer, was essential of what he perceives to be an unhealthy give attention to groups just like the Lakers and Warriors and quite a few Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James GOAT conversations at ESPN, whose community Barkley and firm are set to hitch in 2026.
“I’ve mentioned it for years, the one individuals speaking about LeBron and Michael is individuals on tv who obtained no expertise to speak about anything,” Barkley mentioned on the March 7 episode of Inside The NBA. “I been saying that for years. I ain’t hanging onto the ‘90s.”
In accordance with Terrible Asserting, Smith additionally addressed Barkley’s feedback in regards to the Lakers protection on “First Take” with a shot at Barkley.
“Barkley does tv. He’d by no means be accused of figuring out tv. That might be Ernie Johnson who handles that duty,” Smith mentioned. “Perhaps Charles Barkley ought to have a look at its rundowns every so often though they’re an NBA present versus a present that talks about an abundance of issues. The actual fact of the matter is, some tales get the next profile than others as a result of they resonate with the viewing public. And in tv, it’s known as scores.”
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