LeBron James was caught on video confronting ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith after the commentator criticized his son, Bronny James, a rookie in the NBA/G-League. Fans believe LeBron was reacting to Smith’s recent remarks that Bronny isn’t ready for the NBA and that his father pushed him into the spotlight too soon.
On First Take, Smith pointed to Bronny’s struggles in the G-League, highlighting his limited minutes and poor shooting performance. He argued that while Bronny is doing well in the G-League, he is not yet ready for the NBA.
“He’s doing great in the G-League because that’s where he belongs,” Smith said, according to Bro Bible.
LeBron, reacting to these comments, confronted Smith during a game against the New York Knicks. Lip-reading fans speculated that LeBron told Smith to keep his son’s name out of his mouth. The heated moment quickly went viral.
In response, Smith addressed the incident on First Take the following day. He said, “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 in any way in that regard. By all accounts, he’s obviously a wonderful family man and wonderful father and cares very, very deeply about his son.”
Meanwhile, on the court, the Lakers defeated the Knicks 113-109 in overtime, with LeBron scoring 31 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. Luka Dončić also played a key role, adding 32 points and 12 assists. Since acquiring Dončić, the Lakers have surged to a 8-2 record and climbed to the #2 seed in the Western Conference.
