Stephen A. Smith says LeBron James confronted him as 'a daddy' — not star player — over Bronny comments

It’s said that sometimes the champion defence is offense. LeBron James took that attack Thursday nighttime erstwhile helium confronted Stephen A. Smith courtside astatine a Lakers crippled and scolded him, telling him successful nary uncertain presumption to halt talking astir Bronny James, LeBron’s lad and teammate.

Smith, who reportedly has agreed to a five-year, $100-million contract to proceed his lengthy vocation with ESPN, responded Friday greeting by opening “First Take” with a subdued mentation of wherefore LeBron James was upset with him.

First, though, helium confirmed the taxable James addressed.

“That was LeBron James coming up to me, unexpectedly I mightiness add, to confront maine astir making definite I caput what I accidental astir his son,” Smith said. “I can’t repetition the words due to the fact that they aren’t suited for FCC airwaves.”

Smith questioned wherefore James chose to face him astatine a game astatine Crypto.com Arena, wherever the Lakers bushed the New York Knicks successful overtime, alternatively than privately done a telephone telephone oregon face-to-face meeting. And helium said that helium recognized James was speaking not arsenic a “superstar hoops player,” but arsenic a “daddy.”

But Smith’s cardinal constituent was that his earlier disapproval had been directed astatine LeBron, not Bronny, saying, “I was talking astir the presumption [Bronny] was enactment successful by his dad.”

Before Bronny was drafted successful June by the Lakers, LeBron made it wide helium wanted his lad to beryllium his teammate, and Smith was among galore journalists who believed the national was forced and placed undue unit connected the then-19-year-old whose lone acquisition beyond precocious schoolhouse was 25 games arsenic a relation subordinate astatine USC.

For his part, Bronny didn’t explicit the aforesaid enthusiasm, saying astatine the NBA scouting harvester a period earlier the draft, “My imagination has ever conscionable been to enactment my sanction out, marque a sanction for myself, and of course, you know, get to the NBA. ... I ne'er thought astir conscionable playing with my dad, but of people he’s, he’s brought it up a mates times.”

Smith paraphrased his absorption to LeBron’s efforts to marque definite Bronny was drafted truthful they could play together, saying, “‘C’mon man, this is the concern you are putting him in.’ That’s wherever I was coming from.”

Times columnist Bill Plaschke voiced akin concerns, penning the time the Lakers made Bronny their second-round pick: “Does Bronny truly request this benignant of pressure? Is it truly just to inquire him to make his crippled portion sitting connected the aforesaid seat arsenic arguably the top subordinate successful history who besides happens to beryllium his father?”

The infinitesimal LeBron had agelong anticipated occurred successful the Lakers’ opener Oct. 22, erstwhile Bronny checked into the crippled successful the 2nd quarter. They played little than 3 minutes together, with Bronny missing his archetypal 2 NBA shots, but they became the first father-son duo to play an NBA crippled together.

In 76 minutes implicit 18 appearances, Bronny has scored 25 points, making 25.8% of his shots. He’s fared amended successful 7 G League games, averaging 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists portion playing coagulated defense.

“I person thing but the champion wishes for Bronny James,” Smith said. “I anticipation helium flourishes into an NBA star.”

Smith, who was sitting astatine the crippled with Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and histrion Larry David, said helium recognized that James was “very, precise upset,” and declined to respond successful specified a nationalist setting.

“He and I don’t needfully vibe. ... We don’t spot oculus to eye,” Smith said of James. “Neither of america loses slumber implicit it. It’s been that mode for years. It was similar helium was saying, ‘Keep that betwixt maine and you.’

“As a father, I get it. ... If I was successful his position, I cannot accidental definitively that I wouldn’t person done the aforesaid thing. I don’t blasted him 1 bit.”

Smith concluded his comments by saying that portion helium empathized with LeBron’s defence of his child, helium stood by his on-air criticism.

“What I was saying astir LeBron is fact-based due to the fact that of what helium said and the things that helium said starring up to his lad being drafted and yet being successful the NBA connected the aforesaid squad arsenic him,” Smith said. “There is nary mode astir that. And erstwhile you’re raised arsenic a writer professionally, you don’t privation enemies, but you ain’t paid to marque friends. You’ve gotta telephone it similar you spot it.”