Stephen A. Smith Claims His LeBron James Beef Has 'Never' Been Resolved in Latest Nonstop Rant

Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James (Photo by Imagn Images)

Stephen A. Smith Claims His LeBron James Beef Has 'Never' Been Resolved in Latest Nonstop Rant

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Afshan Khan | Last updated May 9, 2026 2:52 PM ET

The ongoing feud between Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James has taken center stage, showing no signs of cooling off.

It all kicked off last year when Smith fired shots at James’s son, Bronny, after the Lakers selected him with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, labeling it a classic case of nepotism.

Things reached a boiling point in March 2025 when James confronted Smith courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers-New York Knicks game. While Smith had recently acknowledged LeBron’s impact on the league and celebrated his longevity, his candid remarks on the “Out the Mud” podcast revealed that their beef is alive and well.

“I’m fine with it. So is he,” Smith asserted, but he didn’t hold back: “LeBron and I have never rocked with one another.” He further shared insights about LeBron’s family, praising them but hinted that any real issues could have been easily addressed through mutual connections.

Stephen A. Smith on the beef with LeBron James:

“LeBron and I have never rocked with one another. You understand? And. We never, never you know, and I’m fine with it. And so is he. We good. But the point is this. His wife is the First Lady of the NBA. Class personified.… pic.twitter.com/RmPxsS3vI4
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) May 9, 2026

The confrontation stirred things up, leading Smith to recount the encounter with dramatic flair, mentioning how he’d have handled the situation differently. “We can go to the back and talk,” he offered, but LeBron wasn’t having it. Smith mentioned that LeBron took to ESPN to take jabs at him post-confrontation.

Stephen A. Smith Disagrees with Skip Bayless’ Ninth-Place Ranking of LeBron James

Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith reunited on a recent episode of “First Take,” but it didn’t take long for the sparks to fly. Bayless, famous for his harsh critiques of LeBron James, fired another shot, declaring that James ranks a surprising ninth on his all-time NBA list. In a fiery response on his podcast, “Straight Shooter,” Smith didn’t hold back, pushing back against Bayless’s controversial ranking and defending LeBron’s legacy.

“I’ve got LeBron number 2 all time. This mad man known as Skip Bayless that’s right I’m going to call him a mad man for the purposes of this subject matter. He’s got LeBron at number 9, at number 9? He’s got Magic Johnson ahead of him, he’s got Shaquille O’Neal ahead of him, he’s got Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ahead of him, he’s got Tim Duncan ahead of him, he’s got Kobe Bryant ahead of him, he’s got Larry Bird ahead of him. I’m like, come on man, come on man. Skip Bayless done lost his damn mind it’s ridiculous,” Smith said.

Stephen A. Smith on Skip Bayless having LeBron James ranked at 9th all time:

“I’ve got LeBron number 2 all time. This mad man known as Skip Bayless that’s right I’m going to call him a mad man for the purposes of this subject matter. He’s got LeBron at number 9, at number 9?… https://t.co/lkpatuEj16 pic.twitter.com/qT18JCsWmk
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) May 8, 2026