Stephen A. Smith was at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night attending the Los Angeles Lakers matchup against the New York Knicks, sitting courtside alongside various business and media luminaries. Yet a moment during the game went viral online when Lakers superstar forward LeBron James confronted Smith courtside for a reason that remained unknown, and he seemed annoyed with the sports commentator. Smith had spoken about James on numerous occasions throughout the season as it pertains to his son, Bronny, with whom he is teammates on the Lakers. Furthermore, he talked about recent comments James had delivered about NBA coverage and affirmed that there was “weird energy” about being the face of the league.
Smith confirmed that James unexpectedly approached him at the game on Thursday night and said words that are not suited for FCC airwaves. Before addressing the matter to open First Take on Friday morning, he articulated that he thought about this over the last several hours because he had not had any intentions of addressing the interaction. Upon waking up on Friday morning though, he found that everyone from ESPN, his agent and others were sending him a clip of the meeting that had circulated across social media.
“That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me,” Smith said. “That was a parent, that was a father, and I can’t sit here and be angry or feel slighted by LeBron James in any way in that regard.”
Within his discourse, Smith acknowledged that James is a good family man who cares very deeply about his son and that it was clear he took exception to some things he had said about his son. In addition, he shared that James’ agent Rich Paul and business manager Maverick Carter both had his number; however, he did not receive a call from James preceding this incident. If James had wanted to talk to him or seen him in person, he stated that it would have made it happen. Conversely though, James decided to speak with him courtside and express his displeasure towards Smith, who conveyed that he felt he had slighted his son.
Smith provided his perspective by elucidating that he was discussing the position in which James put his son because of certain things he had said leading up to the NBA Draft. One quote from James emphasized that if a team wanted him, it should draft his son because he would do whatever it took to play alongside him for a year. Rather than being more outspoken about it though, Smith conveyed his understanding about being a father and divulged that it was apparent that James was “very, very upset” at the time.
“In the end, like I said, as a father, I get it,” Smith explained. “I’m not offended, I’m not insulted. I don’t have any animosity or animus towards LeBron James for this. Nothing like that. I don’t think he cares, but neither do I. I’m just stating fact – none of that exists. If I was in his position, I can’t definitively said I would not have done the same thing. I’m not blaming him one bit. I get it, I understand it, and there’s a part of me that aches and hurts because of it.”
Smith emphasized that unlike some people who talk about the NBA on podcasts, he covers the league and ultimately has a job to talk about the personnel and subject matter around the sport. There are several storylines going on in the Association, he explained, and added that he has been blessed to have the No. 1 morning show for the last 13 years and counting. In fact, Smith recently agreed to a five-year contract extension to remain on First Take, where he is the featured commentator and executive producer of the program. In the end though, he does not blame James for being angry but conveyed an understanding about his job and the scope of what he previously stated.
“I’m not one of those that get into people’s private affairs, but what you do on a public platform for public consumption, that’s what I cover, that’s what I do for a living, and if you’re in the NBA, that applies to you,” Smith said. “I don’t want enemies – I live a very good life. I like to make people laugh and smile and have a good time and all of that other stuff, but I also get paid to call it like I see it, and what I said at the time, I stand by what I said.”
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