LeBron James confronted Stephen A. Smith courtside, allegedly warning, “Keep my son out of this,” in response to criticism of his son, Bronny.
LeBron James didn’t hold back when confronting Stephen A. Smith after the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the New York Knicks Thursday night (March 6).
Footage of the NBA legend yelling at the veteran sportscaster courtside surfaced online following the game. James gets in Smith’s face, giving him a stern talking-to before walking off.
Social media users speculated James went after Smith over his criticism of his son Bronny, with lipreaders online claiming he said, “Keep my son out of this s###.”
LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith sharing some words after the game tonight
Looks like Bron’s telling him “keep my son out of this sh**.” 👀
(h/t @LADEIG, via @legendofwinning) pic.twitter.com/QyOBAWO0p1
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 7, 2025
The clip went viral as fans chimed in on the situation, with some claiming that Smith clammed up when confronted by James in contrast to his criticism on First Take.
“LeBron pressing n##### in person now? LMAO. Notice how Stephen A isn’t doing all that yelling and screaming that he does on TV,” one person tweeted. “It’s DIFFERENT when you got a p##### off 6’9 / 250lb dude right in front of you. These analysts & ex-player podcasters ain’t really with the s####.”
Other users shared clips of Smith criticizing James and his son.
Stephen A confronted by LeBron James for his constant critique of his son Bronny at the Lakers vs Knicks game. pic.twitter.com/4bxC3jIxdn
— VideoMixtape.com (@VideoMixtape_) March 7, 2025
Last month, Smith claimed James’ agency, Klutch Sports, contacted him over his takes on Bronny.
Smith stated, “Never before has it been more ridiculous than it is right now,” and clarified that he didn’t oppose Bronny playing in the season opener with LeBron, calling it a “phenomenal moment.”
However, Smith maintained that Bronny wasn’t ready for more play. “That should’ve been the only moment we saw Bronny James in a Lakers uniform this season,” he asserted.
While he believes Bronny has potential, Smith added, “I think the kid will be in the NBA one day… he’s gonna be fine — eventually.”
Stephen A Smith says Lebron is SOFT for having Klutch Sports contact him about critisizing Bronny 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/fER7HwDGVs
— Thetruth (@Thetruth8240) January 31, 2025
