NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith reveals why he backed out of confronting LeBron James courtside

NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith reveals why he backed out of confronting LeBron James courtside appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The public disagreement between Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James has been a fixture for more than a year. The two have been in the NBA news, especially after their March 2025 exchange at a Lakers game brought the tension to the arena. Smith has now explained why he chose not to confront James after their heated interaction. Speaking recently with Kevin Garnett on The KG & Stephen A. Show, the ESPN analyst said he wanted to address LeBron but worried the situation could escalate. “I’m like this because I wanted to confront him, but I knew it was going to be a problem,” Smith said. “I knew it was going to be a problem. So I said, ‘All right, no problem.’” Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial) Garnett quickly warned Smith against approaching the 6-foot-9, 265-pound James. The former NBA star said he would never recommend confronting someone of LeBron’s size in that situation. According to Smith, he was not looking to start a physical altercation. He wanted to challenge what he believed was an unfair accusation after criticizing LeBron’s involvement in Bronny James’ development with the Lakers. The analyst also revealed that his new ESPN contract played a major role in his decision. Smith had recently signed a five-year, $100 million deal and did not want the confrontation to put his earnings at risk. “I’m going like this, ‘If I get into some s*** right now, it might affect my money,’” Smith recalled. The original incident happened in March 2025, when LeBron approached Smith during a Lakers game against the New York Knicks. James reportedly told him, “Stop f****** with my son! That’s my son!” Smith had previously maintained that his criticism concerned Bronny’s basketball development, not LeBron’s parenting. The two have since appeared to move past the disagreement. Smith recently said he was “thoroughly over” the feud and even expressed hope that LeBron would win another championship with Philadelphia. At 59, Smith said he no longer wants to carry the frustration forward. Related: Is Scottie Barnes playing tonight? Raptors vs. Celtics injury report Related: Bill Simmons disgusted by Kings after ‘having a seizure’ trying to watch them