Stephen A. Smith’s Reaction To LeBron James Rolling Up On Him

Stephen A. Smith has had a lot to say about LeBron James as of late.

First, he called him out for ruining the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

“LeBron James is directly responsible for ruining the Slam Dunk Contest,” Smith said.

“… Every high jumper, every skywalker, every above-the-rim talent salivated for the opportunity to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest. It stopped when LeBron James said, ‘I’m not doing it.’ And from that point forward, the stars who followed didn’t feel compelled to prioritize a Slam Dunk Contest.

“LeBron James refusing to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest was the beginning and the spark plug of its demise. Period! There is no one who can dispute that.”

Then Smith took aim at James’ handling of his son’s basketball career.

“This is all his fault—all of it,” Smith said bluntly on First Take. “When we get to Bronny James, that kid has done nothing but work hard and try to get on this game and all of this other stuff. Any attention that he’s warranted has been because of his daddy.”

Smith didn’t stop there, though.

“When you’re LeBron James and you put the word out that you want to be with him, and you put the word out that you want to play with him, and you put the word out that you’d be willing to go to any NBA team that picks him up, knowing the power of LeBron James and how influential he can be, now you’ve got to wonder what team would draft Bronny James just so they can get LeBron James at age 40 or 41,” he added.

On Saturday night, at the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets game, fans couldn’t help but notice Smith’s demeanor change when James rolled up on him and the rest of the ESPN crew:

Smith is obviously not one to bite his tongue. He has angered multiple NBA players as a result.

That said, his demeanor has also made him the biggest name in sports media.

So it is unlikely to change any time soon.

Will Smith and James be able to sit down at some point and hash their differences out face to face? Time will tell.

Related: Malika Andrews’ Encounter With LeBron James Causes A Stir