Stephen A. Smith Fires Back at LeBron James, Claiming He Would Have 'Swung' in Heated Exchange

Stephen A. Smith, the outspoken ESPN personality, has escalated his feud with NBA star LeBron James after their recent back-and-forth made headlines. The drama began earlier this month when James confronted Smith over comments about his son, Bronny James, and took another turn during James’ appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show."

During the show, LeBron mocked Smith’s relentless explanations surrounding the fiery incident at the Crypto.com Arena, likening it to a "Taylor Swift tour run." He also called out Smith for admitting he only addressed the confrontation because the viral video left him no choice. Ouch.

LeBron didn’t hold back, saying Smith "missed the whole point" of their argument. According to James, the heart of the matter wasn’t just about defending Bronny but also standing up for his teammate. Smith had criticized Bronny's position in the NBA, sparking the whole debacle.

Smith didn’t let LeBron’s remarks slide. Speaking on his own podcast later that day, he hit back, accusing James of being "full of it" and "lying again." Smith detailed the situation, saying he was blindsided when LeBron confronted him during the third quarter of a game, fresh out of a timeout. Cameras were rolling, and Smith claimed he had no choice but to stay calm to avoid creating a scene.

But here’s where it gets spicy. Smith said, "Had I done something, what do you all want me to do? Do you want me to act like this is a reincarnation of Chris Rock and Will Smith?" He added a bold statement for the record: "If he put his hands on me, I would’ve immediately swung on him. Immediately. That, I’m not going to tolerate." While Smith admitted that LeBron wouldn’t have resorted to physical aggression, the hypothetical scenario adds a dramatic touch, doesn’t it?

Smith also clarified that he wasn’t "s----ing" on Bronny James or "clapping back" at him, pointing out that his criticisms were strictly basketball-related. LeBron, however, sees things differently. On McAfee’s show, he emphasized the importance of keeping criticisms directed at players’ performance on the court. "When you get personal with it, it’s my job to protect my damn household and the players," James asserted.

The feud between these two big personalities isn’t showing signs of cooling down anytime soon. With one defending family and teammates and the other claiming journalistic integrity, the drama is drawing as much attention as a playoff game. One thing’s for sure: neither of them plans to back down.