ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith revealed in a recent interview that he and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James “don’t like each other,” while still praising James as one of the greatest basketball players ever and crediting him for boosting the sport’s popularity.
The comments came during Smith’s appearance on “In Depth with Graham Bensinger,” where he addressed longstanding tension between the two, stemming in part from an incident involving James’ son, Bronny. Smith described the encounter as a “low blow,” saying James accused him unfairly of actions he did not take.
“We don’t like each other. The world needs to know that,” Smith said in the interview. “I hope he’s watching. I think he crossed the line with the incident involving his son. I don’t think I did what he said I was doing. I thought that was unfair and a low blow.”
Despite the personal rift, Smith emphasized James’ impact on basketball. “As I see his career dwindling, it’s important everyone knows that I know how great he is,” he added. “I know how great he has been for the game of basketball. Anybody who has been that great, people like me have benefited because he gives us something to talk about.”
Smith also reaffirmed a previous claim that James attempted to harm his career, though he declined to provide details. “I can’t talk about it,” he told Bensinger. “But that’s exactly what I said. And I’ve never talked about it. And I won’t, other than to say I know that to be true.”
Stephen A Smith with a message to LeBron James:
“We don’t like each other. The world needs to know that.. I hope he’s watching. I think he crossed the line with the incident involving his son. I don’t think I did what he said I was doing. I thought that was unfair and a low… pic.twitter.com/vqO4cXZMB9
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) February 26, 2026
The interview clip, shared on X by the account @NBA__Courtside, quickly garnered over 1 million views and sparked a wave of reactions on the platform.
Many users viewed the feud as one-sided, with Smith appearing more invested. “Leborn don’t care! At this point you are talking to yourself big dawg,” wrote @NesbittCarl. Similarly, @Big_Machines14 commented, “He has benefited from talking about LeBron his entire career, says he doesn’t like him but brings him and doesn’t want to talk about him anymore, then proceeds to use LeBron’s name every time he steps in front of a camera.”
Others urged Smith to move on. “Many of us are done with the LeBron show, though he was once a great and top 10 all time player,” posted @playahard9. “Unfortunately for Stephen A, even fewer people want to hear about his beef with LeBron. Some people don’t like each other. Move on.” @warmlegoon added simply, “Just let it go man.”
A few reactions showed support or neutrality. @_KReal06 wrote, “Respect.” However, criticism of Smith was prevalent, with @CookieM89984574 stating, “SAS sucks.”
The exchange highlights ongoing debates in sports media about the relationship between analysts and athletes. James, 41, is in his 23rd NBA season and has not publicly responded to Smith’s latest comments.
Smith, a prominent figure on ESPN’s “First Take,” has frequently critiqued James throughout his career, contributing to discussions on topics like James’ legacy compared to Michael Jordan. The analyst also touched on other personal topics in the interview, including his childhood and political ambitions.
