Stephen A. Smith Reveals What LeBron James Said During Heated Courtside Rant 

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Stephen A. Smith has addressed his heated courtside confrontation with Lebron James after clips of the exchange made headlines. 

The Los Angeles Lakers star was caught on camera confronting Smith following their win over the New York Knicks Thursday night (March 6). James was visibly frustrated as he yelled at the veteran sports analyst. 

On “First Take Friday” (March 7), Smith confirmed that James’ anger stemmed from his recent criticism of Bronny. 

“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,” Smith began after the clip of their interaction played. “I can’t repeat the words because they aren’t suited for FCC airwaves.” 

He acknowledged that James came to him as a parent rather than a basketball player but maintained that his job requires him to speak on relevant topics. 

“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,” Smith added. “But it’s my job to talk about the subjects and the subject matters that matter. I work for ESPN.” 

Stephen A. Smith Calls Out LeBron James for Not Reaching Out Behind the Scenes

However, Smith took issue with James addressing him so publicly rather than handling the situation privately. 

“LeBron James knows how to get in contact with me if he wanted to,” Smith said. “Instead, he elected to confront me while I was sitting courtside… He walked right up to me and he said what he had to say.” 

While Smith had recently questioned Bronny James’ place in the NBA, he insisted that he never intended to criticize the rookie himself—only the situation created by LeBron.  

“If we had had that [private] conversation,” he continued, “I would have said to LeBron James, ‘I never would speak negatively about your son. I was talking about you.’” 

Check out his monologue below. 

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