Stephen A. Smith has been a hell of a sports analyst. The ESPN First Take’s host has shifted multiple gears ever since he started blasting LeBron James and his son Bronny.
Recently, the feud that started on March 6 when LeBron confronted Stephen A. for his take on Bronny has taken a new turn. He spent a good 15 straight minutes ranting about LeBron’s face of the NBA analogy.
After saying LeBron did not attend Kobe Bryant’s memorial service, Smith has taken a complete u-turn from his words.
“My apologies and clarification. I misspoke in Hour#1 of @FirstTake today when I intimated that LeBron did not attend Kobe Bryant’s memorial. I corrected myself in Hour#2 when I acknowledged he was indeed in attendance. My mistake. Should not have even broached that subject. It was not my main point. I retract NOTHING else that I said. Have a nice day!” Smith wrote in his tweet.
My apologies and clarification. I misspoke in Hour#1 of @FirstTake today when I intimated that LeBron did not attend Kobe Bryant’s memorial. I corrected myself in Hour#2 when I acknowledged he was indeed in attendance. My mistake. Should not have even broached that subject. It…
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 27, 2025
However, what initially started as a small back and forth has taken the face of a full blown drama. Earlier, James appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and dissed Smith for his exuberant criticism towards his family.
He compared the ESPN analyst to being on ‘Taylor Swift tour run right now’ and made it clear that LeBron can’t tolerate it from no one to throw shades at him or his son.
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However, it led to Smith saying he would have swung on LeBron had he put his hands on the analyst. Hilariously, his bold claims did not age well as it ended in only the Lakers superstar trolling him on Instagram.
ESPN Might Be Risking A Lot In Stephen A. Smith And LeBron James Feud
The recent feud between Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James has been quite the spectacle. The tension between the two reached new heights during Smith’s fiery 15-minute rant on ESPN’s First Take.
In this passionate segment, Smith didn’t hold back, calling out the Lakers superstar as childish and insincere. He brought up a confrontation at a Lakers game, where he believed James was upset over something he said about Bronny James.
However, this feud raises interesting questions about the long-term implications for ESPN. Yes, the public drama has generated quite a buzz. On a day when Major League Baseball was kicking off its season, the top trending topic was Stephen A. vs. LeBron, not even mentioning stars like Aaron Judge or Juan Soto.
Adam Silver weighed in on the feud between Stephen A and Lebron lol
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) March 27, 2025
"My phone was in front of me and I received several texts that said are you watching this? And I said what's this? And they said Stephen A" pic.twitter.com/0PK6CvAizE
But is it good for ESPN, in the long run, to have its top commentator openly clashing with the face of the NBA? Of course not.
In case LeBron takes up a major role in the league, as some rumors suggest of him owning a franchise, things will not look as sweet.
Even NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has weighed in, noting that he often cringes at how analysts talk about players. He prefers a tone that celebrates the sport and its stars, not get up against each other.
