LeBron James Called Out By Stephen A. Smith in Video Over 2025 Confrontation for Bronny Comments

The heated March 2025 courtside confrontation between Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith regarding James' eldest son, Lakers guard Bronny James, was revisited on Tuesday when Smith made remarks about the incident in an appearance on Logan Paul's Impaulsive podcast (h/t NBA Courtside).

"It was very disrespectful. I thought it was very unfair to me. I never did what he implied that I did. That was my issue…It was clear when he rolled up on me that he thought I went after his son to get at him because I critique him. I would never do that. I wouldn't go after somebody kid. I would never do that. To paint that narrative just because you don't like the fact I don't view you as the GOAT, really pissed me off."

To briefly summarize what happened, James went up to Smith before a win over the New York Knicks in March 2025 and had some things to say.

Smith had made news a few months earlier with these remarks on First Take.

After the confrontation with James, Smith spoke about the matter the next day.

He said in part (h/t Mike Chiari of Bleacher Report):

"That was LeBron James, coming up to me unexpectedly I might add, to confront me about making sure that I mind what I say about his son. Can't repeat the words because they ain't suited for FCC airwave. That's what he was doing. Now I thought long and hard about this over the last few hours, because I had no intentions of talking about this at all. And the reason why is because it was a one on one, I wouldn't say a conversation, but it was a one-on-one confrontation. But then I wake up and everybody from ESPN and my agent and everybody else were sending me that this thing had gone viral. And so ultimately it was unavoidable and that is why I have to discuss it now.

"That wasn't a basketball player confronting me. That was a parent. That was a father. And I can't sit here and be angry, or feel slighted by LeBron James and any way in that regard. By all accounts, he's obviously a wonderful family man and a wonderful father who cares very, very deeply about his son. And based on some of the comments that he had heard, or shall I say, I think he thought he heard, he clearly took exception to some of the things that he heard me say, and he confronted me about it."

James went on The Pat McAfee Show later in March and said that Smith had "completely missed the whole point" of their talk.

"Never would I ever not allow people to talk about the sport, criticize players about what they do on the court," James said (h/t Chiari). "That is your job to criticize or to be in a position where, okay, if a guy is not performing, that is all part of the game. That's all part of the game. But when you take it and you get personal with it, it's my job to not only protect my damn household but protect the players."

Now the confrontation has come back to light, although James has bigger issues to deal with right now. He's trying to lead the Lakers to a first round series win over the Houston Rockets. L.A. won its first three games before Houston took Game 4. The Lakers hope to take Game 5 at home on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET.