ESPN's Stephen A Smith accuses LeBron James of lying in interview, claims he would have 'swung' at player

ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith returned LeBron James’ volley connected Wednesday aft the Los Angeles Lakers prima fired shots astatine the broadcaster connected "The Pat McAfee Show" implicit their confrontation earlier this month.

James mocked Smith arsenic idiosyncratic who was going connected a "Taylor Swift circuit run" implicit explaining the fiery infinitesimal astatine the Crypto.com Arena. He besides poked amusive astatine Smith for saying helium did not initially privation to code the infinitesimal but lone did it due to the fact that the video went viral, and helium had to bash it.

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Los Angeles Lakers guardant LeBron James, #23, interacts with lad Bronny James during the crippled against the Boston Celtics astatine the Crypto.com Arena successful Los Angeles connected Jan. 23, 2025. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

The Lakers subordinate said Smith "missed the full point" of the argument. James said helium was not lone defending Bronny James, his son, but besides his teammate aft Smith criticized Bronny for being successful the NBA successful the archetypal place.

Smith fired backmost astatine James aboriginal Wednesday connected his ain podcast. He started disconnected saying James was "full of it" and that helium "lied again" connected McAfee’s show.

"I didn’t cognize helium was going to rotation up connected me," Smith said. "I had nary idea. But erstwhile helium said what helium had to say, I was successful nary presumption to springiness immoderate benignant of retort without making a scene. It was during the 3rd quarter. It was caller retired of a timeout. It was him walking to the hoops court. It was connected nationalist television, the cameras were rolling and had I done something, what bash you each privation maine to do? Do you privation maine to enactment similar this is simply a reincarnation of Chris Rock and Will Smith?

Stephen A. Smith successful 2021. (IMAGN)

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"And fto maine authorities for the record, that portion we bring up that, fto maine guarantee you it wouldn’t person gone down similar that. I would person gotten my a-- kicked. Because if that antheral enactment his hands connected me, I would’ve instantly swung connected him. Immediately. That, I’m not going to tolerate. But I knew helium wasn’t going to bash thing similar that."

Smith denied "s----ing" on, nor was helium "clapping back," astatine Bronny James.

LeBron James addressed this connected McAfee’s show.

Los Angeles Lakers guardant LeBron James, #23, smiles aft scoring during the archetypal fractional of an NBA hoops crippled against the Denver Nuggets connected Saturday, March 2, 2024 successful Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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"And different (thing). He wholly missed the full point, the full point. Never successful my … ne'er would I ever not let radical to speech astir the sport, knock players astir what they bash connected the court. That is your occupation – to knock oregon beryllium successful a presumption where, OK, a feline is not performing … that is each portion of the game. When you instrumentality it and erstwhile you get idiosyncratic with it, it’s my occupation to not lone support my damn household but support the players."

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