The Lakers reeled off an eighth win in a row, beating the Knicks in overtime 113-109. James put up 31 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in the victory.
After LA wrapped up the win, James could be seen yelling at Smith, who sat courtside for the matchup.
“Damn LeBron stepped to Stephen A Smith,” one user said on X.
Many speculated that LeBron targeted Smith in response to his criticism of his son, Bronny. Savvy internet lipreaders alleged that James said, “Keep my son out of this (expletive).”
LeBron James Warned Stephen A. Smith
Smith is one of the most notable talking heads in the world of sports. He’s attacked James before, but adding his son to the equation has escalated the tension. Smith said he was contacted by James’ agency, Klutch Sports, for taking it a step too far.
“Never before has it been more ridiculous than it is right now because the reality is, we gotta be real about what we’re seeing when we talk about Bronny James,” Smith says. “I am not a person who had a problem with Bronny James being on the court for the season-opener with LeBron James. That was a phenomenal moment to see a father on the court with his son, who has NBA aspirations, playing together for the first time in NBA history.
“My position has always been: that should’ve been the only moment we saw Bronny James in a Lakers uniform this season because he’s not ready. I’m not here to tell you that he won’t be ready. I am not here to tell you that he won’t be an NBA player. I’m not here to tell you that he should give up his dreams and aspirations; I think the kid’s got potential. I think the kid will be in the NBA one day. I watch him in the G League doing his thing; I think he’s gonna be fine — eventually.”
Bronny James has spent most of his time in the G League and has made some significant strides. He’s played in 18 contests with the Lakers, averaging 4.2 minutes and 1.4 points per game.
LeBron James Recently Called Out Media
LeBron James has expressed his frustration with how the NBA and its players are portrayed in the media. Recently, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards stated that he has no desire to be the face of the league—a stance that James fully supports.
“Why do you wanna be the face of a league when all the people that cover and talk about our game on a day-to-day basis (expletive) on everybody?” James said. “To have that responsibility is just weird. It’s weird energy.”
While James has issues off the court, he continues to thrive on it. The Lakers have established themselves as a true contender since the blockbuster move for Luka Doncic. LA is second in the Western Conference. And James has shown no signs of aging, putting up 25.1 points, 8.5 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game.
