Stephen A. Smith has once more sparked controversy with NBA icon LeBron James, this time accusing the star athlete of having a racially biased approach to dealing with journalists.
The tension between the two was first captured in March during a heated exchange at a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Smith’s favored New York Knicks. Smith later disclosed that James was upset about comments he had made regarding James’ son, Bronny.
This week, the sports commentator revisited the confrontation while speaking on ‘The Pivot Podcast’ hosted by Ryan Clark.
During the podcast, Smith alleged that LeBron James’ interactions with media personnel often vary based on their racial background.
“Have you ever seen LeBron confront a white reporter? Let’s be honest about it. Have you ever witnessed that? You’ll notice he came after me,” Smith remarked.
Smith further defended his stance by stating, “Anyone with professional integrity and a deep understanding of sports knows I did nothing wrong to that young man. To portray me as someone who would attack a child simply out of dislike for you is just low.”
Stephen A. Smith (left) has reignited his beef with NBA star LeBron James (right) yet again
Smith did acknowledge that James had also previously criticized Brian Windhorst, who has followed his basketball career since high school.
‘You saw him come at me. Closest you ever came to seeing him do something like that [to a white journalist] was when he called out Brian Windhorst,’ Smith continued.
‘What you calling out Brian Windhorst for? The man covered you since junior high school and has praised you repeatedly and you used the Pat McAfee situation to go at him. [T]hat’s the only time you ever seen LeBron James really go at somebody white. I’m going to call it what it is.’
He once again defended his comments on Bronny’s games as he maintained that James Sr was in the wrong.
‘LeBron was wrong, and he will forever be wrong,’ said Smith. ‘And as far as I’m concerned, anybody in this business or anybody that wants to be in this business, especially these athletes with their podcast that don’t see it, well, just consider yourself blind or unethical.
‘Because anybody with professional ethics who knows sports and knows what comes with it, knows I did not do anything wrong to that young man. But to paint me as somebody that would attack a child just because I dislike you. It’s low. It’s low. And that’s what it is, and that’s where it’s going to stay.
‘And the only reason I said it is because you asked me, and it’s because of how I feel, and I’m not going to change. And if he don’t say nothing, I’m not going to say anything. I’m just going to do my job. If there’s another confrontation, I assure you I’ll be better ready and better prepared this time. I promise you that.
It wasn’t the first time that Smith has continued their war of words. The ESPN star previously accused the Lakers star of being a ‘liar’ and a ‘bully’. He even claimed: ‘Had that man put his hands on me, I would have immediately swung on him’
Cameras caught James having a heated courtside exchange with Smith in March
Smith later revealed that James had taken issue with remarks he made about his son, Bronny
LeBron, meanwhile, went on The Pat McAfee Show, and mocked Smith for repeatedly discussing their feud. ‘He is on a Taylor Swift tour run right now,’ James joked.
In august, Smith claimed that he and James have ‘no relationship’. ‘He doesn’t like me, and I don’t like him… if I never, ever speak to him again in life, that will be OK. And I’m good with it,’ Smith said on the Gil’s Arena livestream. ‘There’s nobody that can mediate.’
‘And the last straw was him approaching me and turning the Bronny thing into something about me attacking somebody’s family, when it was him I was talking about. Not Bronny,’ the ESPN star continued.
The analyst has always maintained that the four-time NBA champion misconstrued his comments about his son.
