Overview
- Stephen A. Smith said on 7PM in Brooklyn that he does not like LeBron James and claimed the tension dates back more than a decade, calling James one way publicly and another privately.
- He alleged James tried to harm his career and argued the viral courtside exchange happened the same day his ESPN contract was announced, questioning why only one camera angle showed the moment.
- On The Pivot, Smith asserted James rarely confronts white media figures and cited Brian Windhorst as a rare example, framing the pattern as a racial double standard.
- Smith said the “last straw” was James appearing on The Pat McAfee Show and presenting the issue as protecting his family, which Smith called offensive, while adding he will still cover James objectively.
- LeBron has not issued a new response beyond prior remarks that he accepts on-court criticism but defends his household when family is involved, and the dispute remains unresolved as the NBA season opens.