Stephen A. Smith is already working on a virus incident between him and LeBron James.
But Smith needed to go into more detail – and he's not happy about it yet.
ESPN's “First Take” panelists appeared on “Gil's Arena” on Tuesday, with the nearly two-hour show delving into the incident that took place during the Lakers Knicks game on Thursday.
Smith called what James did “weak.”
“I thought it was some bulls –,” Smith said when asked about sideline discussions in general. “But for now, I knew I was listening to my father.”
Smith delved into how he got a seat from his agency, WME, and came in during the third quarter of Crypto.com Arena while James was timed out.
“I turn around and he's here in my face and say, 'Yes, you have to stop talking about my son. [Bronny]. You have to stop F-keying with my son. It's my son, it's my son! ”
Smith suggested to James that he could chat after the game, but the Lakers star declined before telling his head again to stop saying certain things about Bronnie on TV.
As Smith puts it, Smith saw him in the first quarter with a “sad look on his face.”
Smith said he wasn't going to talk about the situation on television until things went viral and his ESPN boss said he had to discuss it.
After signing a new $100 million deal with ESPN last week, Smith said he was reluctant to do anything big about it.
James spoke with Richard Jefferson Courtside of Boston on Sunday.
“I thought he misrepresented the argument. I was happy he did,” Smith continued. “What he was really talking about was confirmed in his conversation with Richard Jefferson. I mean he was talking as a father. If he had told me that, I wouldn't have been dumped. I would have come back to him soon – yes, I was talking about you, you did this s-t.”
Smith never led him to parenting to his arguments or analysis, but things went on a different level when Bronnie, who became the Lakers' second round pick, was drafted in 2024.
According to Smith, Bronnie had to “take a stripe” in the G-League after his NBA debut.
And LeBron's son has been playing there for a while, but he averages 1.4 points per game, in line with 18 NBA games.
“I can't ignore that,” Smith said when he saw Brony's statistics shown to the “sports center.” “Because if you're putting me on me now because they're blowing up statistics, how am I doing my job? …Stephen A. Smith has nothing to say? I can't get away with that.”
Smith added that he decorated his message to James with “as a father” because he firmly believes the NBA icon is selling himself to get Bronnie into the pros.
He later adds that he is rooting for Bronnie, saying that the rookie has a chance, and reiterates that his criticism is pointed at LeBron.
“I was talking about your ass – you. You did this,” Smith said. “As a league, as a league, as a franchise in the NBA, we all had to sit and surrender to your S-T in quiet, you did that.”
There will be time to see if things escalate further between James and Smith.
