iMay 1, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Stephen A. Smith attends game six of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs between the Denver Nuggets and the LA Clippers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Stephen A Smith Doesn't Hold Back True Feelings on Lakers' LeBron James

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Patrick Warren | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 8:00 PM ET

The feud between Lakers star forward LeBron James and ESPN media personality Stephen A. Smith reached new heights Monday after a recent interview with Smith aired on Carmelo Anthony's podcast 7PM in Brooklyn.

In great detail, Smith listed out the reasons why he does not like the 23-year veteran, implying that James is two-faced and has his hand in the narratives surrounding both his and his son Bronny's career.

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"Let me get to LeBron. I don't like his a—. Not even a little bit," Smith said on the podcast. "You do not understand the lengths this man will go to. This dates back more than a decade. I believe he's one way publicly, he's another way privately. He might not be interviewed and he might not be quoted, but the things he says and the things he has said to people, it's gotten back to me."

"I don't like his ass." @stephenasmith doesn't hold back on LeBron James pic.twitter.com/LvAzAs1BYv
— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) October 20, 2025

Smith went as far as to say that if it were up to James, ESPN's highest-paid employee wouldn't be on air. James confronted James at a Lakers-Knicks and the two had a heated conversation regarding the media's handling of Bronny James' career, according to Smith.

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"The things that he's tried to do, if it were up to him, I wouldn't be where I am today. It's some low, low, s—," Smith said.

After being critical of the not-so-coincidence that Bronny was drafted by the Lakers to join his father, Smith was clear about his suspicions regarding some of the seminal moments in Bronny's young career.

"Oh, [Bronny James] ends up getting drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, congratulations. Oh, he ends up being there opening night, that father-son moment, with Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr. in attendance. I was there at the game, standing up clapping, no problem," Smith said. "It became a problem when this brother was in the G League and then the next day JJ Redick decides to bring him in the first quarter and asks him to guard Tyrese Maxey. ... It was a nightmare. And I'm like, 'You can't do that to him, but you also can't do that to us. We're the media. Now you're asking us not to cover the game.'"

For Smith, the feud came to a head when James appeared on The Pat McAfee Show to talk about the confrontation rather than hashing it out with Smith on First Take.

"You gonna come on ESPN with Pat McAfee? You're gonna come on my channel on a show that comes on after me just to dog me? Nah," Smith said.

James has not publicly responded to Smith's viral criticism, although it is likely a question James will be presented with in his next scrum with the Lakers media.

The four-time MVP is not expected to play until mid-November as he recovers from a lower back sciatica injury.