Stephen A's Take: Final Comments on Lebron Confrontation.

Summary

Summary of "Stephen A's Take: Final Comments on LeBron Confrontation"

The Stephen A. Smith Show Episode
Title: Stephen A's Take: Final Comments on LeBron Confrontation
Release Date: March 18, 2025
Host: Stephen A. Smith
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts

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Introduction

In the episode titled "Stephen A's Take: Final Comments on LeBron Confrontation," host Stephen A. Smith delves deep into the long-standing tension between himself and NBA superstar LeBron James. Addressing comments from fellow NBA personalities Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, Smith provides his unfiltered perspective on the situation, clarifying misconceptions and outlining his stance on various related issues.

Background of the Confrontation

Stephen A. Smith initiates the discussion by acknowledging recent events where LeBron James confronted him courtside during a Lakers game. This incident sparked widespread debate, prompting Smith to address the matter head-on.

Stephen A. Smith [01:10]: "Let me transition to a serious topic because I wanna put an end once and for all to this discussion about yours truly and LeBron James in light of what happened last week."

Insights from Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony

Smith references statements made by Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, both of whom have close relationships with LeBron James. They weighed in on the confrontation, providing their perspectives on the dynamics between Smith and James.

Dwyane Wade [02:26]: "Stephen A. He coming tonight. He coming to the game tonight."

Carmelo Anthony [03:00]: "There is a fine line of, I am a father, but you can't separate the fact that he is your teammate as well."

Stephen A.'s Explanation of the Relationship with LeBron James

Addressing the core of the issue, Smith elaborates on the lack of a personal relationship with LeBron James, despite mutual respect for each other's professional achievements. He emphasizes that while he respects LeBron's status in basketball, their interactions have been limited and strained.

Stephen A. Smith [03:00]: "Me and LeBron, we don't have a relationship. LeBron don't mess with me and I don't mess with him. I respect the hell out of him. He's number two on the list all time."

Smith further explains incidents where LeBron's actions, such as confronting him during games, have solidified the lack of camaraderie between them.

Stephen A. Smith [08:35]: "I have video documentation with me refusing to cover Bronnie, never watching him out of respect for the family."

Discussion on Bronny James

The discussion briefly touches upon Bronny James, LeBron's son, addressing rumors and clarifying his stance on reporting and commentary related to Bronny.

Stephen A. Smith [10:14]: "Bronny James, I'm going to do my job. Same energy. You mess up, I'ma mention it. You succeed, I'm gonna be there celebrating it."

Stephen A.'s Take on LeBron's Place in NBA History

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to Stephen A.'s views on LeBron James' legacy compared to Michael Jordan. Smith asserts his belief that Michael Jordan remains the greatest of all time (GOAT), citing Jordan's unparalleled heart and competitive spirit.

Stephen A. Smith [19:17]: "Another all-star appearance. Another."

Stephen A. Smith [19:23]: "Ain't my goat. I watch the game. I'm a student of the game. I know a goat when I see one. And he is a goat of this generation. But all time, it's Michael Jordan."

Smith critiques LeBron's performance in key moments, referencing the 2011 NBA Finals as a blemish on his otherwise illustrious career.

Stephen A. Smith [19:23]: "But all time, it's Michael Jordan. That's who the hell it is. That's the goat."

Media and Public Perception

Smith addresses how media portrayal and public opinion have influenced perceptions of both him and LeBron James. He emphasizes the role of black media and the complexities of their interactions over the years.

Stephen A. Smith [15:22]: "A whole bunch of people who ain't Stephen A. Smith, who don't have my microphone, who don't have my platform, was talking about him behind his back and talking about LeBron and what he was doing as a father who happens to be the greatest attraction in the game today."

He reiterates his commitment to delivering honest and unbiased commentary, regardless of external pressures or personal disagreements.

Stephen A. Smith [24:43]: "To the basketball world, I'm Stephen A. Smith, dammit, and I'm gonna cover the sport the way I cover the sport. Ain't nobody changing me on that."

Conclusion and Final Remarks

In wrapping up the episode, Stephen A. Smith firmly states his position, asserting that the confrontation with LeBron James was a result of professional duty rather than personal vendetta. He expresses a desire to move past the incident while maintaining his integrity as a sports broadcaster.

Stephen A. Smith [24:44]: "Ain't nobody changing me on that. I'm gonna give it to you how you deserve it, good, bad or indifferent. And that includes LeBron James."

He offers apologies to those affected by the confrontation and underscores his dedication to covering basketball authentically.

Stephen A. Smith [25:09]: "Ain't nobody changing. This was not about Bronny. This was about LeBron. He did all of this with his words and his proclamations and his assertions. He also did it to show that it really does hurt him not to be the goat."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Stephen A. Smith [01:10]: "Let me transition to a serious topic because I wanna put an end once and for all to this discussion about yours truly and LeBron James in light of what happened last week."

• Carmelo Anthony [03:00]: "There is a fine line of, I am a father, but you can't separate the fact that he is your teammate as well."

• Stephen A. Smith [03:00]: "Me and LeBron, we don't have a relationship. LeBron don't mess with me and I don't mess with him. I respect the hell out of him. He's number two on the list all time."

• Stephen A. Smith [19:23]: "Ain't my goat. I watch the game. I'm a student of the game. I know a goat when I see one. And he is a goat of this generation. But all time, it's Michael Jordan."

• Stephen A. Smith [24:44]: "Ain't nobody changing me on that. I'm gonna give it to you how you deserve it, good, bad or indifferent. And that includes LeBron James."

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Final Thoughts

Stephen A. Smith's episode on his confrontation with LeBron James provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the complexities surrounding their professional interactions. By addressing input from other prominent NBA figures and articulating his own viewpoints on legacy and media portrayal, Smith offers a nuanced narrative that encapsulates his enduring role in sports commentary.

Transcript

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[Young Pueblo]

Reality TV and social media have love all wrong. So what really makes relationships last? On this episode of Dope Labs, poet and relationship expert Young Pueblo breaks down the psychology of love and provides eye opening insights and advice we all need.

[Unknown]

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[Young Pueblo]

Listen to Dope laughs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Let me transition to a serious topic because I wanna put an end once and for all to this discussion about yours truly and LeBron James in light of what happened last week. Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, both of whom know LeBron very well, weighed in on the situation between me and LeBron. LeBron rolled up on me courtside last week of the Lakers game. They weighed in on the situation on.

[Unknown]

Melo's podcast, 7pm in Brooklyn.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Check out what the fellas had to say. Please take a look at this.

[Unknown]

It's dual size. Once again, you know, I think you understand both sides. If you're that person who wants to understand both sides. I told him as a father, I'm walking up on you.

Right? I get it.

Cuz I'm, I'm, I'm like that too. Like I'm, I'm at you of course, but also, you know what I told him? I said, and I think we've never seen LeBron do that. Like even, we've never seen like LeBron don't even go back at players that follow him too hard on the court. We've never seen him be like, he's always been just even keel and level headed in every aspect and sometimes you want him to jump, sometimes you want him to go and he won't. And so to watch him, to watch the clip and watch him on that bench and see Stephen A. Over there, he was just. He couldn't take it. He couldn't take it. I mean, he could not stand it.

They got the memo, though. Stephen A. He coming tonight. He coming to the game tonight.

He knew it because he saw him and he saw him at warm up. Yeah.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You know what I mean?

[Unknown]

It just. It was burning him. But, you know, I told him, I said, you know, Stephen, I think the one thing is. And first of all, I take it that's a sign of respect that LeBron did that to you.

Yeah.

You know, I mean, I know everyone.

[Stephen A. Smith]

He knows the power of Stephen A's.

[Unknown]

He understands that. And I told him, I said, and that's the thing. Your microphone is the loudest. Your platform is the biggest. And also, you're a black man. Yeah. And I said, you know what I mean? So you gotta understand, you know, where he's coming from with that. If he even approached you, because, yes, the Skip Bayless of the world and all these guys have said things about him his entire career, and he's been above it.

There is a fine line of, I am a father, but you can't separate the fact that he is your teammate as well. You get what I'm saying? And he's in this league to be critiqued. I just think this has been a buildup. We talking 22 years. Like, this ain't got nothing to do with Bronny. It's just the fact that Bronny is a part of the conversation now, and he also gotta protect his seed. You get what I'm saying? You gotta protect the kingdom. No matter how old A is, he's brawny. That's my dad. So Bron gotta protect that. But there's also energy with that, with those two. And those crews just as from over the years of just build up. This ain't no love relationship that we talk. This ain't no love friendship that we talking about. These.

They don't have a friendship.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Right?

[Unknown]

So it is what it is in a sense, right? This is just Stephen A. Doing what he's supposed to do over the years. Ronnie doing, Bron doing what he doing over the years. And this is what happens. Some might get misconstrued. I might not like what you say. I might not with you. I ain't gonna deal with you. But the fact that I think the energy is because we dealing with two juggernauts in, In. In. In. In their respective fields, right? Braun being who he is, Stephen A. Being who he is, a lot of people don't know that history between those two. The only thing people know is what Stephen A. May say or what he may not say. Braun has never spoken on any situation with Stephen. So if I'm sitting there for 20 plus years and I'm just taking all of this information, all the that you've said to me is about me over the years now my son is the trigger.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'ma drop the mic on all of this right now, once and for all. We gonna put this shit to bed. I want to thank Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony for saying what they said. Some of the details were missed. Like, for example, he didn't see me, you know, warm ups because I didn't get there until a few minutes into the first quarter. But when you sit in courtside, they kind of know who's going to be there. And I'm quite sure he was alerted I was going to be there. But that's neither here nor there. D. Wade is told 1000% truth when he said what he text me and said to me because we do have a relationship. I love that brother. That's my dog. And I feel the same way about Carmelo Anthony. We all go back years and I love them both. So I really appreciate the conversation that they had and I appreciate the perspective they both provided because for the most part, it was pretty spot on. A couple of things that need to be noted. Like Mello said, it's been stewing for years. See, what I've gotten pissed about with this particular subject is that too many people are not touching on the truth. Melo and D. Wade did. Me and LeBron don't have a relationship. LeBron don't mess with me and I don't mess with him. I respect the hell out of him. He's number two on the list all time. And I didn't always feel this way about him. There are times I didn't like how he treated black media. I'm not talking about myself because I'm on a certain level and I watched how others got treated and I didn't like that. But it didn't take away from his unquestionable greatness, his deified status that he has earned as one of the top two or three greatest players in the history of basketball. And I never deviate from that. I've always been kind to his family. I think his wife is the first lady of the NBA class personified. I think his mom is an absolutely wonderful woman. I don't have to talk to Randy much. That's a good brother. Rich, Paul and me are pretty damn cool. Rich is good people. So I'm cool with Mav as well and various other people. But me and LeBron, we don't roll like that high. And by he have much use for me and I damn sure don't have much use for him. And that shit was cemented when he did what he did the other day. Because you rolled up on me knowing that I wouldn't have a chance to respond unless I was willing to make a scene, which was at courtside while the national televisions were rolling on the day that my new contract had been announced to the world. But it doesn't stop me from being fair. It's not going to stop me from doing my job. My issue, which is why I appreciate it where Mellow went, because Mellow put it where the goats can get it. We don't have that kind of relationship. So what the hell you use your son for? I'm on your son. That's not true.

[Unknown]

Bronnie James.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That is not true.

[Unknown]

To the James family and all your.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Close confidants and loved ones, that is not true.

[Unknown]

I have video documentation with me refusing to cover Bronnie, never watching him out of respect for the family. Because if Stephen A. Rolls into a gym or an arena and I see him, everyone's going to ask for my critique of him. And I have been on the record publicly stating that's not fair to that kid because his father is one of the greatest ever and they're going to judge him harshly and I didn't want to be a part of it. I can look into the camera and look at Bronnie James and say factually, that is not correct. I have not been shitting on that kid at all. That is factually incorrect. Now D. Wade says, well, you were talking about him, but you. No, I really wasn't. The reason I say that is because as Rich Paul pointed out when he said I could have contextualize it better, it's not foreign to me that a second round pick will come into the NBA and it's not ready yet and they'll just work hard going to G League, come back and forth and they'll get better. Just like Kenyon Martin told me his son did when I was on Gil's arena last week. So that's not foreign to me. I wasn't talking about him. I was talking about his father. And why was I talking about his father? Because not me, but the media, some publicly, many privately, literally labeled it parental abuse. That he would say, my son is.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Better than some of these dudes in the league right now.

[Unknown]

You want me draft my son? It ain't even about the money at this point. I want to play in the league.

[Stephen A. Smith]

With my son for the year.

[Unknown]

You did that. That was LeBron James. That was not Stephen A. Smith. I did not do that. So when he came up to me claiming, you on my son, you on my son, I didn't know what he was talking about, because I'm the one person who didn't until January 29th. And even then, I don't believe I did it. I pointed out how his thought was very, very bad, but his performance in.

[Stephen A. Smith]

The G League was good.

[Unknown]

Let him go there and get himself better, because you, as the dad, put him in this microscopic spotlight, and you're going to subject them to stuff that is going to be too much. That's all I was saying. So we got the Draymond Greens out of the way, out of out there with his damn podcast. For some reason, suddenly forgetting my character and who I am. And he's talking about, yo, it was weak of Stephen A. To say that LeBron was weak or to bring it up as a father. And, oh, by the way, where I'm from, we put hands on you. You sure you should be saying that, Draymond?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Sure.

[Unknown]

I mean, you sure that's the words.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You want to use? We should be putting hands on somebody.

[Unknown]

Has that not worked against you? Jordan Poole, Nurkic, Rudy Gobert? I mean, I'm just asking.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm just asking.

[Unknown]

Is that the smartest thing for you to say?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Particularly the one you want to be in this business when it's all over? Is that the smartest thing for you to say? But you go ahead, bro. God bless you. I understand where you rolling now and how you rolling is cool. I got nothing bad to say about Draymond. I still got love for Draymond. My point in all of this is I would never call out somebody as a father for stuff that's going on in the privacy of your life in your home. But I covered the NBA.

[Unknown]

And what I was talking about when it came to fatherhood was what we were seeing on an NBA basketball court. That's my job. That's my job. I'm supposed to ignore that while he's wearing a Lakers uniform, while he's getting money that most people wouldn't get, that he deserves because of LeBron, because LeBron is underpaid? I'm supposed to ignore all of this while you're in the purple and gold, why are you wearing an NBA uniform? Why you receiving an NBA check? When I cover the NBA, that's where I disagreed with Dwyane Wade. When he said, I'm coming at you, I'm like, because of the Wayne Wade that I know would have picked up on. I was talking about D. Wade, not his son.

[Stephen A. Smith]

LeBron tried to say I was talking.

[Unknown]

About his son when he knew good.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And damn well I was talking about him. We sit here today, it's a week later, and I'm not going to talk about this anymore. But let me say this to y'all. It's a week later. I'm not backing up from a word I said. I was right. I was doing my job. And in the process of doing my job, I wasn't doing my job when I didn't talk about him.

[Unknown]

All of those years. I cover basketball. I don't just cover the NBA. I am a sports broadcaster, which means that it was perfectly within my right to go to Sierra Canyon and cover him, to go to USC and cover him, to go to the G League.

[Stephen A. Smith]

If I wanted to. And.

[Unknown]

And cover him because I cover sports.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To get on me otherwise is to get on me for doing my job. So that's where Adraemon is wrong and taught me. Talking about father.

[Unknown]

Why did I mention father? Because you said my son is better.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To some of the dudes in the.

[Unknown]

League right now before he got here. And you said, you want me draft my son? At this point, it ain't about the money. I just want to play with him for a year. That's what you said.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Which is why a whole bunch of people who ain't Stephen A. Smith, who don't have my microphone, who don't have my platform, was talking about him behind his back and talking about LeBron and what he was doing as a father who happens to be the greatest attraction in the game today. Melo's right. This wasn't about Bronnie. This was an excuse that LeBron was looking for to get at me, which, by the way, would not have been a problem. We could have met in the back, we could have had a man to man conversation where I had an opportunity to respond and point to him about what he did to put his son in this microscopic spotlight that I personally have tried to avoid for three years. But he didn't give me that opportunity. Just like he didn't give me the opportunity when the Shop was on HBO and Mav came up to me and Rich came up to me and they.

[Unknown]

Said, yo, we want you on the Shop. Hell, yeah, we want you on the shop. With LeBron, it'll be box office.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I said, name the time and place. I show up, I only got one condition. Nothing gets edited out. Nothing.

[Unknown]

Let me go. He's so right. He's so righteous. Let's do it. His show, not mine. Don't come on first take. I ain't helping his ratings. Don't come on his YouTube shorts, podcast. Nah, I ain't helping his numbers. I'll come on your show.

[Stephen A. Smith]

We know it'll help numbers. At the very least, we know I could do that. Nobody was hiding crickets. Never heard from them since. And I know that ain't their fault, because I know Mav will put me on in a heartbeat. Rich, Paul and and the rest of the crew, all of them, in a heartbeat.

[Unknown]

I'd show up by my damn self.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Or I show up with my own boys. And we could all bring facts to the table. But I was never taken up on that offer. You see, I don't run and hide. If I'm wrong, I'll say I'm wrong. If I'm right, I'm right. I was never shitting on Bronny James. I wouldn't do that to the James family. I was talking about one person and one person only. We may never speak in life again. I'm fine with it. I get paid to talk about folks, not to them. I cover the league. You play. I watch dissection, analyze and broadcast. We ain't gotta communicate. We damn sure don't have to say hello to each other. We don't have to do none of that. We don't get along. And there's a multitude of reasons why. I've alluded to some of them. But we know what the biggest reason is. I ain't Shannon Sharp. It ain't goat status. This way. My goat is Michael Jordan, 35, 000 points, eclipsing Kareem Abdul Jabbar with over 38, 000. Ultimately 40, 000. Now 50, 000.

[Unknown]

Another all star appearance. Another.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Ain'T my goat. I watch the game. I'm a student of the game. I know a goat when I see one. And he is a goat of this generation. But all time, it's Michael Jordan. That's who the hell it is. That's the goat. You see, Kobe came into the game with a heart. LeBron developed one. First several years, it wasn't like that because he was scared to get through the free throw line. He was never Scared of an opponent. I would never disrespect greatness of LeBron James like that. He was scared to get to the free throw line. That's where the fallaway jumpers came from. That was where the hesitancy to get to the go to the hole came from. Anything that could finally lend himself towards going to the free throw line, he wasn't trying to do. But there's this thing about heart that you got to pay attention to. You see, when you lack a speck of it at any point, particularly back in the day, there would be impediments and roadblocks to prevent you from getting it. Why do I call Michael Jordan the GOAT over LeBron James? Because at his very best, compared to LeBron, at his very best, I'm going MJ all day, every day. But here's the biggest thing. It was Scotty Pippen with the migraine and others associated with LeBron with Michael Jordan that prevented him from climbing that ladder over the Detroit Pistons until the third or fourth or fifth try. Whenever it was, it wasn't because of mj. And I'm telling you here right now, as God is my witness, LeBron is great and phenomenal as he is. If he were playing in that era, as I've said on many occasions, and he going against Michael Jordan, Michael Jordan would have tried to snatch his heart right out of his chest before he ever arrived to Miami to learn to win with D. Wade and with Pat Raleigh. That's my proclamation. I said it before and I'll say it again. That's why Michael Jordan is my goat. It's just a basketball opinion to me. It's clearly a lot more to LeBron James choking in the finals against the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. Fine. Us getting in an argument about something in black media. And fine. The only consistent blemish I've placed against LeBron James is that he is not the greatest of all time. That's the frustration that's been brewing up, more so than anything else. Bring up Bronnie if you want to. Bronny James, I'm going to do my job. Same energy. You mess up, Imma mention it. You succeed, I'm gonna be there celebrating it. That's what happens in the pros. You got nothing to worry about with me. All the best to you. I wish you nothing but the best. You're a great kid who I believe is going to be in the NBA someday, sooner than later, on a regular, consistent basis. To the James family, my apologies for all of this happening to the Draymond Greens World. I'm sad I hurt your friend or I upset your friend, bro. Evidently that matters a lot to you. My bad. To the basketball world, I'm Stephen A. Smith, dammit, and I'm gonna cover the sport the way I cover the sport. Ain't nobody changing me on that. I'm gonna give it to you how you deserve it, good, bad or indifferent. And that includes LeBron James. Ain't nobody changing. This was not about Bronny. This was about LeBron. He did all of this with his words and his proclamations and his assertions. He also did it to show that it really does hurt him not to be the goat. Oh wow.

[Young Pueblo]

Love at first swipe. I highly doubt it. Reality TV and social media have love all wrong. So what really makes relationships last? On this episode of Dope Labs, poet and relationship expert Young Pueblo breaks down the psychology of love and provides eye opening insights and advice we all need.

[Unknown]

It's a big realization moment that you should not be postponing your happiness. Like your greatest happiness is not necessarily going to like come from a relationship. Your partner, they should add to your happiness, but your happiness is really coming from within you.

[Young Pueblo]

Listen to Dope labs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colleen Witt]

Are you hungry? Colleen Witt here and Eating While Broke is back for season four every Thursday on the Black Effect Podcast Network. This season we've got a legendary lineup serving up broke dishes and even better stories on the men. We have Tony Baker, Nick Cannon, Melissa Ford, October London and Carrie Harper. Howie turning Big Macs into big moves. Catch Eating While Broke every Thursday on the Black Effect podcast network. IHeartRadio app Apple podcast. Wherever you get your favorite shows, come hungry for season four.