The Los Angeles Lakers won in dramatic fashion over the New York Knicks in a thrilling overtime victory on Thursday night with superstars LeBron James and Luka Doncic leading the charge.
James put up 31 points while Doncic scored 32 to help Los Angeles climb out of a double-digit hole in the fourth quarter and win their eighth straight game, beating the Knicks 113-109. The marquee contest between two big-time NBA franchises also featured a heated on-court moment between two fiery personalities, as James was seen arguing with ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith during a break in the action.
One fan’s camera caught James angrily talking to Smith about something courtside. Smith’s face was turned away from the camera during the verbal confrontation:
Wonder what LeBron was saying to Stephen A smith here pic.twitter.com/EN50Cth0Mr
— FlightMike (Mikerophone) (@TheFlightMike) March 7, 2025
Many on social media assumed James was going off about Smith’s coverage of his son Bronny James, though James’s lips are admittedly hard to read. Smith, like many other NBA analysts, has been critical of Bronny playing in the league ever since he was drafted by the Lakers last June.
“I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father. Stop this. Stop this. We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad,” Smith said in January. “We love what we’re seeing from [Bronny] in the G League because that’s where you belong as you hone your skills and you get better and you legitimately earn, which I believe he has the potential to do.”
James and Smith also made headlines in the news cycle as recently as last week, when the Lakers star made blunt comments about the state of NBA media while discussing whether Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards should be the face of the league.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as LeBron James Seen Having Heated Conversation With Stephen A. Smith During Lakers’ Win.
