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Why is LeBron James beefing with ESPN's biggest star?
On the night of Oct. 22, LeBron "Bronny" James Jr. and his father, LeBron James Sr., became the first father and son to play together in an NBA game.
ESPN's star personality and recurring "General Hospital" actor Stephen A. Smith says he stood to applaud the moment from the Crypto.com Arena stands.
A little over five months later, Smith and LeBron Sr. are embroiled in a public spat, going from podcast to television show to publicly insult each other. A few weeks ago they had a heated exchange in the middle of a game.
Bronny and LeBron James leave the court after a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the home opener at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 22. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The amount of time Smith has put into the rivalry as a pundit is expected, but LeBron Sr. is less than 10 games away from beginning the playoffs with the Lakers. The basketball star has a reputation for being able to silence media noise in the most crucial moments, but the family element of this quarrel seems to have hit a little too close to home this time.
While the ending of this feud isn't in sight, let's take a look back at the beginning of this daytime drama-like beef and unpack the latest saga in the Lakers' headline-making season.
The nepotism accusations that started it all
Smith says his distaste for Lebron Sr. goes way back. But it really started to heat up when the basketball player claimed that his son, then playing at USC, was better than other players in the NBA. Smith's distaste escalated when LeBron announced he'd only play for a team that drafted his son.
The Lakers obliged. Bronny defenders chalk up his substandard college numbers to the recovery he made from his shocking cardiac arrest in 2023.
As you might imagine, the accusations of nepotism were deafening, including from Smith.
It didn't help that Bronny had a weak start to the season.
For Smith, Jan. 28 was a breaking point. The Lakers traveled to Philadelphia to play the 76ers in a nationally televised game. The Lakers coach and former podcast host JJ Redick gave Bronny some valuable playing time in the first half.
In his 15 minutes of play, Bronny scored 0 points, missing the five shots he took. Smith had thoughts.
"I am pleading with LeBron James as a father: Please stop this. We all know Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad," he said on ESPN's "First Take."
Stephen A. Smith sits courtside during the first half of an NBA basketball game between the New York Knicks and the Golden State Warriors in New York on Feb. 29, 2024. (Peter K. Afriyie / Associated Press)
Six weeks later, LeBron spotted Smith in the front row of Crypto.com Arena. In the middle of a game, he made his way over.
LeBron towered over Smith and gave him a piece of his mind. There were no microphones to catch what he said, but according to Smith he told him to "stop f— with my son."
After this moment, Bronny had his best game as a pro. He has remained a consistent contributor for the Lakers ever since, and Smith admitted that he may have been wrong about Bronny's skills.
Beef over, right? Wrong.
Is it a real beef if you don't spew petty insults on a podcast?
On Wednesday, LeBron made an appearance on ESPN's "Pat McAfee Show." Mid-interview, McAfee slipped Smith's name into a question and got LeBron going.
LeBron accused Smith of being "on a Taylor Swift tour run" and that he "couldn't wait until the video had dropped" so Smith could reap the publicity. He even said Smith would be "smiling from ear-to-ear" hearing him talk about it while Smith listens in his "tighty-whities."
Smith denied wearing "tighty-whities" the following day during a 52-minute video he posted on YouTube titled "LeBron … the lies keep coming."
"I just want to say for the record LeBron James is full of it," Smith said in the video. "And in this particular instance, as it pertains to his son, he is a liar."
"Had that man put his hands on me, I would have immediately swung on him."
The Lakers' LeBron James celebrates his dunk while getting fouled against the Wizards as son Bronny cheers in the background at Crypto.com Arena. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Smith wasn't done. He took his passionate anger to "First Take" and brought up stuff he said he wouldn't bring up. He claimed LeBron wasn't at Kobe Bryant's funeral (he was and Smith later corrected himself on the show), called him out for missing Dwyane Wade's Hall of Fame induction (Bronny had his cardiac arrest episode only weeks prior) and supported his co-host's insinuation that LeBron chooses to do podcasts with his white friends over his Black friends.
So who's right? It depends on if you believe LeBron is an egomaniac who enables nepotism for his own vanity or if Smith is using his platform to disparage a father who wants the best for his children.
I am not qualified to answer that question. Maybe you are? I do know I will be grabbing my popcorn as the Lakers head into the postseason and Smith looks for his next exercise in soap opera-like commentary.
The week's biggest stories
Border Patrol agents and members of the military stand inside a gate in one of two border walls separating Mexico from the United States during a news conference on joint operations involving the military and the Border Patrol this month in San Diego. (Gregory Bull / Associated Press)
Deportations and arrests raise questions over how the Trump administration decides whom to expel
Federal departments investigating Elon Musk have been cut by DOGE and the Trump administration
- Musk's efforts to trim the federal workforce and Trump's push to install loyalists come as multiple agencies or departments have been regulating or investigating the billionaire's companies.
- The Trump administration has halted or moved to dismiss investigations against 89 corporations, including Musk's companies, according to Public Citizen, a consumer rights group.
Several sea lions and dolphins in Southern California have been poisoned by harmful algal blooms
Students have already found ways to get around cellphone bans at Los Angeles public schools
More big stories
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This week's must reads
Seagrass meadows act as a nursery for sharks and other fish species, making them fundamentally important to the fishing industry, supporting the production of about a fifth of the world's largest fisheries. (Photo by WEY, licensed under
CC BY-SA 4.0)
The most important part of the ocean you've never heard of. Saya de Malha Bank offers safe haven to an unprecedented biodiversity of seagrass habitats for turtles and breeding grounds for sharks, humpback and blue whales. Since it is mostly located in international waters, where few rules apply, its biodiversity is being systematically decimated by a huge fleet of industrial fishing ships that remain largely unchecked by government oversight. Who will safeguard this public treasure?
More great reads
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For your weekend
Elorea in Koreatown houses a cafe inside its fragrance store, with signature drinks inspired by some of the company's scents. In coffee form, Earth is made with misugaru, espresso, ginger, vanilla, milk and dark chocolate, then smoked with wood under a glass cloche. (Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Going out
Staying in
How well did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz.
(Staff and wire photos)
What famous golfer is dating President Trump's former daughter-in-law? Plus nine other questions from our weekly news quiz.
Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
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