LeBron James and Stephen A Smith’s war of words just won’t die down. What started as a courtside confrontation over Smith’s coverage of Bronny James has turned into a full-blown media spectacle. LeBron, during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, took issue with Smith making things personal instead of sticking to basketball. He also called out the ESPN commentator for using their exchange to boost his own profile, joking that Smith was on a “Taylor Swift tour run” with how often he brought it up.
Smith, never one to back down, took it up a notch. He claimed that if the 21x All-Star had laid hands on him, he would’ve swung back—while admitting that the 4x MVP would have flattened him. Seriously, who’s buying the tough-guy act? Then, he pushed the drama even further by saying LeBron skipped Kobe Bryant’s funeral and Dwyane Wade’s jersey retirement ceremony. The only issue? The Los Angeles Times reported LeBron was at Kobe’s memorial.
And guess what happened? SAS took a rare step back after incorrectly stating that LeBron James skipped Kobe’s memorial. During First Take on Wednesday, Smith initially suggested that the Lakers star was absent from the ceremony but later corrected himself on air, acknowledging that James was, in fact, in attendance.
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
While Smith admitted his mistake, he made it clear that he wasn’t backing down from the rest of his criticism toward LeBron. The ongoing feud, which started with LeBron confronting Smith over his coverage of Bronny James, has only escalated in recent days. Despite the correction, the back-and-forth between the Lakers star and the ESPN commentator shows no signs of slowing down.
And now, even NBA commissioner Adam Silver has weighed in.
After a Board of Governors meeting, Adam Silver weighed in on the LeBron James-Stephen A. Smith feud that’s been dominating headlines. Instead of choosing sides, he pointed out that this kind of back-and-forth is just part of NBA culture.
“This kind of debate seems to be part of the DNA of this league,” Silver said, recognizing that while it drives engagement, it also has its drawbacks.
He admitted that, at times, he wishes the NBA discourse mirrored other sports, where coverage often celebrates the game itself. “Sometimes, I cringe at a lot of the coverage,” he admitted. “I would like the focus to be on the play on the floor. And I feel particularly protective of our players, of course.”
Silver’s take? The NBA’s constant media buzz is both a blessing and a curse. It keeps the league in the spotlight, but sometimes, it pulls attention away from the game itself.
This is a developing story…
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