The beef between Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James isn’t just for show. It’s real, it’s personal, and it’s been one of the most fascinating cold wars in sports media. It all started with Smith’s criticism of LeBron’s son, Bronny, and exploded in a now-infamous courtside showdown where LeBron told the ESPN host to “keep my son out of this.” What followed was a public war of words—Smith calling LeBron “weak,” LeBron accusing Smith of using his family for a “Taylor Swift tour run” of publicity. The two have since openly admitted their mutual dislike.
But just when you thought this feud couldn’t get any stranger, it has spilled out of the sports arena and into a new, far more consequential one: the world of politics. In a twist that feels straight out of a movie, both men are now being seriously discussed as potential candidates for President of the United States in 2028. And in this new contest, the early numbers are showing a clear, and perhaps surprising, winner.
So, could we really see President James? While LeBron himself has never said a word about running for office, the idea has caught fire among political pundits. Writer Freddie deBoer recently made the case that LeBron would be a “game-changing candidate” who could “handily win an election.” And it’s not just talk. A recent poll of Ohio voters found that 37% of them already view him favorably, a number most politicians would kill for. Add in his 53 million followers on X, and you have a platform that could instantly reshape an election.
Stephen A. Smith, on the other hand, has been anything but quiet about his ambitions. In a recent interview, he said that so many people have asked him to run for president that he feels he has “no choice” but to consider it. A vocal critic of both parties, he believes his unique ability to “resonate with the masses” would make him a powerful force in Washington.
But as these two rivals find themselves in this new, unexpected competition, the betting markets have delivered a stunning verdict—and a major blow to Smith’s political hopes. On Polymarket, a popular prediction market, LeBron James currently has an 8% chance to be the 2028 Democratic nominee, giving him the fourth-best odds and putting him ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris. And Stephen A. Smith? He’s sitting at just 3%. For a man who has built an empire on the power of his voice, the numbers are a harsh reality: when it comes to the ultimate popularity contest, the King still reigns supreme.
(This is a developing story…)
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