The feud between Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith exploded this week and is now a full-blown public spectacle. And in the eyes of the NBA world, Smith reached a new low on Thursday with his latest jabs towards James.
Smith went on an extended monologue blasting James on Thursday morning's edition of First Take and, among the many points he hit, said James should feel fortunate he never brought up certain topics on television that Smith believes casts a less-than-flattering light on the superstar. Specifically Smith alleges James did not attend Kobe Bryant's memorial service after the basketball star tragically died in a helicopter crash in February of 2020.
"I suggest that he be happy with the things that I haven't brought up," Smith said. "I never brought up really and never really discussed why you were not at Kobe Bryant's memorial service."
Stephen A. Smith on LeBron James: "I suggest that he be happy with the things that I haven't brought up. I never brought up really and never really discussed why you were not at Kobe Bryant's memorial service. I never really brought up or discussed why you did not attend Dwyane… pic.twitter.com/Wji02Zidej
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 27, 2025
Obviously whatever moral high ground Smith might've had about not discussing these sensitive topics on television is gone now that he has discussed these sensitive topics on television. It's also important to note that the Los Angeles Times reported James was at the memorial back when it happened, although he declined to confirm as much when directly asked about it by a LA Times reporter a few days later.
Viewers were not happy he brought it up that way, blasting the classless use of Bryant's memorial service as something to be wielded in a war of words with James.
Good thing he’s too classy to bring those things up https://t.co/UHYyy1h1OH
— Dave Dameshek (@Dameshek) March 27, 2025
The HE SHOULD BE HAPPY I DIDN’T BRING UP THESE EXAMPLES argument while actually doing exactly that is enough to make Socrates blush https://t.co/9urOp9KHgj
— John Lund (@lundinbridge) March 27, 2025
And you wonder why we never hear from Michael Jordan. Trash like this is the reason. https://t.co/RM4Qiga3t1
— 🤨 (@JamesF84) March 27, 2025
Bringing up Kobe was trash… every deals with death differently. https://t.co/unzxpemclI
— BMW the DJ (@BMWTHEDJ) March 27, 2025
Idk how anyone likes this guy anymore https://t.co/5DZoNgTsaE
— Mark (@pfaefflem) March 27, 2025
This is embarrassing https://t.co/xYlKT7GkmP
— Morgan Murdock (@ListenUpMo) March 27, 2025
He doesn’t have a PR team ? ….because someone should have advised him to leave the first half of this out…well really all of it but especially the beginning because why are you talking about Kobes memorial service and Bronny health incident https://t.co/iop9rZoXjO pic.twitter.com/OxJrpZaFJP
— _Chika, ESQ. (@NaijachikaEsq) March 27, 2025
And you still giving him some platform to talk like this? @espn https://t.co/LeL1dqDYsE
— Spicy Bet 🌶️ (@spicy_bet) March 27, 2025
Guy who has made millions of dollars trashing people on national television mad when one of those people has a spine 🆗 https://t.co/xsNHG6rx0y
— Gavin 🦕 (@Gavin2Hell) March 27, 2025
You disgusting https://t.co/Ih3H1febVB
— YETTI (@DYetti_) March 27, 2025
Stay tuned for the next development in this growing spat between James and Smith.
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Stephen A. Smith Ripped for Classless Line About LeBron James, Kobe Bryant’s Memorial.
