It has been several weeks since a courtside confrontation between Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith. Since that meeting, both personalities have continued to trade public barbs.
On Wednesday, James appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and addressed the situation. He expressed that Smith had missed the point regarding their original dispute on the court and added that Smith would probably be thrilled he was bringing him up again. In response, Smith fired back, calling James a liar and openly stating that he does not like him. However, Smith maintained that he would continue to cover both James and the sport professionally.
Meanwhile, Matt Barnes, who co-hosts the popular podcast All The Smoke with former NBA player Stephen Jackson, weighed in on the ongoing feud. Having played against LeBron James for several years, Barnes shared his perspective on the public back-and-forth, saying he actually appreciates that it is happening.
“22 years in the league, he’s (James) been getting scrutinized the whole time,” said Barnes via a post on his Instagram. “He finally came out and it was just unfiltered. An unfiltered, no-holds-barred conversation with Pat McAfee, which was dope.”
In the clip, Barnes expressed that he was pleased to see this unfiltered side of LeBron James, as it was a side of the NBA superstar he had never witnessed before. He credited James for choosing not to take the high road with Smith and instead allowing things to air out.
“Obviously, it was Stephen A. that caught it, but it was really at all of the media,” stated Barnes. “People have made careers off doggin’ ‘dude.’ Skip Bayless comes to mind.”
Barnes also referenced an interview he conducted with Kobe Bryant before his passing, in which they discussed the criticism Bryant endured throughout his Hall of Fame career. Reflecting on Bryant’s comments, Barnes emphasized that all the criticism stuck with him during his playing days, reinforcing the point that NBA players are human too.
“Stephen A., you know I f**k with you, you’re my dog. But I think you crossed a line,” stated Barnes. “You have a lot of responsibility because you know a lot of secrets in the league about a lot of different people. That comes with a big responsibility, and you’ve carried it well, but I think you were out of pocket.”
Barnes concluded his remarks by encouraging LeBron James to continue speaking his mind rather than always taking the high road. He believes that fans want to hear James’ unfiltered thoughts and gain deeper insight into his experience.
“Stephen A. is sweating a little bit. He has you sweating, bro,” joked Barnes. “He has you fumbling your words a little bit and out of character, and I like it.”
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