By Obadiah Golden
Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James engaged in a viral beef that has become more personal than people thought.
Smith, one of the biggest sports television personalities right now, is having a feud with James, one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Smith decided to call out James’ son, Bronny James Jr., after James Jr. was placed in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. James Jr. struggled, going 0-5 from the floor.
“We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad,” Smith said on national television.
On March 6, the New York Knicks went against the Los Angeles Lakers. At the game, James confronted Smith, and a video was recorded of the interaction. This video later went viral, causing Smith to speak about the issue.
“That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me; that was a parent, and that was a father. And I can’t sit here and be angry,” said Smith on BBC.
James then responded in an interview on The Pat McAfee Show, saying he felt that Smith missed the whole point of the confrontation.
James also said Smith has been on a “Taylor Swift run,” going from podcast to podcast, milking the situation for himself and other people.
“I think a lot of the media, including him — and I know he’s going to be happy as hell. He’s gonna be smiling ear-to-ear when he hears me talking about him,” James said on Complex.
Smith then proceeded to respond on his show, The Stephen A. Smith Show, saying that James was a liar. He added that he did not know James would pull up on him, but if the confrontation escalated, he would “swing” on him.
“He hoodwinked y’all into thinking that he was upset about criticism about his son,” said Smith on The Stephen A. Smith Show.
James proceeded to post a video of Smith boxing and mocking him.
After seeing this, Smith, who is the host of ESPN’s First Take, went on television and said James did not go to Kobe Bryant’s funeral, calling him out for not doing so if Bryant is indeed as close as he said he was.
James attended Bryant’s funeral and told reporters he didn’t want to be on camera, recorded, or reported on as he wanted to grieve privately at the funeral.
Smith took criticism about his portrayal of James’ parenting to heart, and it led to a viral beef for a couple of weeks. Smith said he and James do not like each other.
“This passive-aggressiveness and the two-facedness, smiling in your face and digging you behind the back … Which is why I don’t like him. And he doesn’t like me,” said Smith on The Stephen A. Smith Show.
Smith has gotten a lot of flack for his ability to handle this situation and his involvement in the situation. Many NBA fans and players feel like Smith makes his takes 100% correct and is the one that is supposed to be believed. After this situation and how he was bringing personal involvement and information, many people might not take him or his NBA opinions as seriously anymore.
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Photo courtesy of People.