“LeBron James Takes a Jab at Stephen A. Smith: ‘On a Taylor Swift Tour'” as Their Feud Escalates

LeBron James rarely makes appearances on television shows or podcasts, unless his production company is involved.

However, the NBA icon, who remains a formidable presence at 40 years old in his 22nd season as a professional, made a notable exception for Pat McAfee’s show which airs on ESPN.

While he had his own podcast to promote, featuring a collaboration with basketball legend Steve Nash as the new host, James took the chance to aim a jab at the network’s highest-paid commentator, Stephen A. Smith.

Earlier this month, during a Lakers game against the New York Knicks, James had a confrontation with Smith due to remarks made regarding his son, Bronny.

In late January, Smith expressed on First Take that Bronny James should not be in the NBA after a scoreless performance in 15 minutes during the Lakers’ 118-104 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers on January 28.

“I am urging LeBron James, as a father, to stop this. We all understand that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad,” Smith asserted.

The following day, a visibly subdued Smith addressed their exchange on his show after footage of the incident circulated online.

“It was LeBron James coming up to me unexpectedly to confront me about how I should mind my words concerning his son,” Smith recounted.

“I can’t repeat what he said, as they aren’t fit for airwaves. I pondered this for hours because I had no intention of publicly discussing it. It wasn’t so much a dialogue but rather a one-on-one confrontation.

“That wasn’t just a basketball player confronting me; that was a father. I can’t be upset or feel offended by LeBron in that aspect.”

In response, James ribbed Smith, who recently signed a whopping $158 million extension with ESPN in March, stating that the broadcaster “completely missed the point.”

“I would never stop people discussing the game from critiquing players’ on-court performances. That’s your role. It’s part of the game,” James elaborated.

“However, when it becomes personal, it is my duty to protect not only my household but also other players.”

“I believe media personalities, including him, fail to grasp my point – and I know he’ll be thrilled to hear me mention him,” James added.

“He’ll probably settle down with some ice cream at home and kick back in his boxer shorts on the couch. Just chill out, mate. For real.”

James further joked about how Smith has continued to bring up the incident, despite initially claiming he didn’t want to discuss it.

“He’s acting like he’s on a Taylor Swift tour right now,” James quipped.

“It started with ‘I didn’t want to discuss it… but now that the video is out, I feel the need to address it.’ You couldn’t wait for the video to release so you could talk about it.”

James referenced Smith’s comments on former NBA player Gilbert Arenas’ podcast, in which Smith labelled James’ public confrontation as “weak.”

“I thought it was weak,” Smith stated. “I considered it a load of nonsense — but in that moment, I was aware I was interacting with a father.

“I suggested we talk later, but he was adamant that I stop messing with his son. And I said, ‘Alright then,’ and he walked off.”

Smith remarked that during a timeout in the first quarter, Bronny noticed him, which possibly triggered his father’s reaction.

“Bronny glanced at me with this dejected expression,” Smith explained. “I can only assume his dad caught that. It affected him. He couldn’t hold back and approached me.”

Smith added, “Remember, I had just signed my contract. I was sitting courtside, and that day it was made public. It was nationally broadcast. The cameras were rolling. I was like, ‘If I respond, it’s going to create quite a scene.’

“We can attempt to act as though we are not part of a larger organisation, but let’s be clear, I work for Disney. Engaging in a confrontation with [James] courtside, regardless of being justified, would have made everything wrong.”

“I made the decision; I won’t go down that path. But once I saw footage of him speaking to Richard Jefferson in Boston, that was when I really got upset because it confirmed my feelings.”

Here, Smith referred to the clip of James talking to his former teammate and ESPN commentator about the matter before the Lakers faced the Celtics in March.

“Once he said, ‘I’m pleading with you as a father,’ I knew,” James appeared to convey to Jefferson.

Smith noted this led him to realise that James’ true grievance wasn’t about his critical comments regarding Bronny’s performance.

“What he was really expressing — which was confirmed in his conversation with Richard Jefferson — was that I was speaking about him as a father,” Smith added.

In the meantime, Bronny has shown tremendous progress in his recent performances.

He achieved a career-high 17 points for the injury-riddled Lakers in a loss against the Bucks on March 20, followed by an impressive 39 points for the Lakers’ G League affiliate.

Smith has acknowledged that he might’ve misjudged the young player’s abilities after those notable performances.

Smith’s recent contract extension makes him ESPN’s top-paid personality. In contrast, Fox Sports NFL analyst Tom Brady holds the record for the highest sports hosting contract, a ten-year deal nearing $600 million.

Smith’s profile continues to rise in the U.S., with discussions about him as a potential candidate for the Democratic Party’s 2028 presidential nomination.

He addressed these speculations during a guest spot with Jimmy Fallon on NBC’s The Tonight Show this month.

“I didn’t seek this out. I’m not interested. I enjoy my life. I have a fantastic job. I’m perfectly fine. I’m saying, ‘Hold on; I don’t want to be doing this,’” he said with a sly grin.