Perhaps the most symbolic moment of the ongoing feud between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith came in a social media post from Smith on Thursday. “My apologies and clarification. I misspoke in Hour#1 of First Take today when I intimated that LeBron did not attend Kobe Bryant’s memorial,” Smith wrote on X. “I corrected myself in Hour#2 when I acknowledged he was indeed in attendance. My mistake. Should not have even broached that subject. It was not my main point. I retract NOTHING else that I said. Have a nice day!”
My apologies and clarification. I misspoke in Hour#1 of @FirstTake today when I intimated that LeBron did not attend Kobe Bryant’s memorial. I corrected myself in Hour#2 when I acknowledged he was indeed in attendance. My mistake. Should not have even broached that subject. It…
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 27, 2025
Yes, you read that correctly. One day after James broke his public silence regarding Smith during an hour-long interview on The Pat McAfee Show, Smith opened First Take with an uninterrupted 15-minute monologue addressing the 4-time MVP. In doing so, the ESPN star alluded to James’ absence from Bryant’s memorial service (and Dwyane Wade’s Hall of Fame induction), suggesting he wouldn’t share the reason for his absence, but implying it would be embarrassing for him if he did. In Smith’s meager defense, there was definitely some strangeness regarding James’ attendance at Bryant’s 2020 memorial service. Yet, the necessity for ESPN’s $100 million man to reference the event underscores the depths this feud has already reached, with no signs of slowing down.
James isn’t blameless either, as this entire ordeal began with Smith’s remarks about Bronny James’ playing time with the Los Angeles Lakers—valid criticism given the context of the team’s 2024-25 season. Anyone who heard Smith’s original take would recognize it was directed at LeBron rather than Bronny, a distinction the elder James doesn’t seem willing to accept. During his McAfee interview, the 40-year-old James expressed his comfort with discussion surrounding his oldest son as an NBA player but claimed that Smith’s comments crossed the line. However, he failed to provide a valid explanation, resorting instead to childish insults such as, “He’s gonna be smiling from ear to ear when he hears me talking about him again. Oh my God, he’s gonna get home and grab some ice cream out of the f**king freezer and sit in his chair in his tighty whities on the couch.”
Ultimately, this situation began with James taking offense at legitimate criticism and escalated when he confronted Smith courtside in the middle of a game. To date, the 4-time NBA champion has not offered a logical explanation for any of this, appearing more interested in trading barbs with Smith. On the subject of schoolyard behavior, let’s remember that two wrongs don’t make a right; Smith has done nothing but stoke the flames of this feud, publicly addressing their on-court confrontation no fewer than three times after claiming initially that he wouldn’t speak of it.
A similar pattern emerged after the McAfee interview, where the former Philadelphia Inquirer columnist addressed James’ comments extensively on Wednesday’s edition of The Stephen A. Smith Show before dedicating the first quarter-hour of Thursday’s First Take to the same. While Smith typically appears measured in his approach, this has not been the case here; he has come off as more like crashing out than calculated. This was exemplified by his statement on The Stephen A. Smith Show that he would have “swung” on James immediately had the 21-time All-Star touched him during their on-court encounter.
Smith’s 15-minute tirade on First Take appeared mainly as a man seeking any opportunity to escalate this situation. He made references to the controversy around Bronny’s McDonald’s All-American selection, continuously asserting that Michael Jordan is the true GOAT, claiming James has “no friends” in the media except for his close circle, and included odd remarks about Bryant’s memorial service; it encompassed all of this without portraying either James or Smith positively. For a publication that covers sports media, the narrative of the industry’s leading star clashing with the most prominent athlete of our time should be captivating, but many are growing tired of this story. Based on reader feedback, they’re not alone. It’s not interesting, it’s not amusing, and it’s certainly not entertaining. Although there have been memorable moments, primarily this feud involves two grown men trading immature insults, thereby legitimizing the criticism they’ve both encountered in their otherwise remarkable careers. In wrestling terms, this is heel vs. heel, leaving the audience with no rooting interest and perplexed about who truly benefits from this.
We will continue to cover the developing story as part of our duty, and from a broader perspective, this will impact both parties’ legacies (more Smith than James). That said, we would be perfectly content if this all concluded soon, especially if it continues to reach the new lows seen on Thursday afternoon.
