ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith claimed on Wednesday that if his confrontation with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James earlier in the month had turned physical, he wouldn’t have hesitated to swing on the NBA’s oldest player, though he also acknowledged that it wouldn’t have gone well for him.
James then clowned Smith with a post on Instagram of the ESPN analyst practicing some boxing and captioned it with laughing emojis.
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Smith recently gave more context on the video. He said that it’s a decade old at this juncture and that he had two torn rotator cuffs at the time. He also accused James of being in his feelings and openly questioned if it’s because Smith doesn’t think the forward is the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time).
Stephen A. Smith responds to LeBron’s IG post:
“That’s how petty you’ve become?… When has LeBron ever done something like that?… This man is in his feelings. I wonder why? Could it be because I don’t believe you’re the GOAT?”
(via @FirstTake)pic.twitter.com/6SJG5C4qIS
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 27, 2025
Smith said he has James at No. 2 in NBA history behind Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.
The 40-year-old James is an NBA champion, MVP, Finals MVP and has seemingly defied all logic with his longevity. He’s in his 22nd NBA season yet remains a force to be reckoned with, as he’s averaging 24.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8.4 assists per contest across 61 games played in the 2024-25 campaign.
Smith and James are still feuding after the latter confronted the former when the Lakers took on the New York Knicks several weeks ago, with James’ son Bronny seemingly being the topic of conversation. The game in question took place at Crypto.com Arena, and Los Angeles won by four points in overtime.
The younger James recently put together far and away his most productive game at the NBA level to this point. Against the Milwaukee Bucks back on March 20, he totaled 17 points while shooting 7-of-10 from the field and 2-of-4 from 3-point range along with three rebounds, five assists and one blocked shot.
He last saw the floor for L.A. against the Chicago Bulls on March 22 and scored two points in that game, with both of his points coming from the charity stripe.
