ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith repeatedly accused LeBron James on Thursday while falsely claiming that the Los Angeles Lakers star did not attend Kobe Bryant’s memorial service—despite multiple reports confirming James’ presence at the 2020 event.
Smith, who recently signed a multi-year contract extension with ESPN, has been engaged in a largely one-sided feud with James in recent years. Much of his criticism has focused on James’ son, Bronny, a Lakers player, often framing his NBA opportunity as nepotism.
Weeks after James confronted Smith courtside at a Lakers game over his ongoing commentary about Bronny—a moment that went viral and prompted an on-air response from Smith—the NBA star appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and briefly addressed his issues with the ESPN analyst.
“Stephen A. Smith is on a Taylor Swift tour run right now,” James quipped. “If anyone was waiting for the video to come out, it was him… He missed the entire point. He made it personal, and it’s my job to protect my household and all players.”
Before Thursday’s First Take broadcast, Smith first responded to James on his personal podcast, which his new contract allows him to promote. (Beyond sports, Smith has expressed interest in expanding into political commentary.)
“I just want to say for the record: LeBron James is full of it. And in this instance, regarding his son, he is a liar,” Smith claimed, adding that when James confronted him, he “couldn’t respond without making a scene.”
Smith then speculated about a physical altercation, saying if the 6’8” forward had attacked him, he would have had no choice but to fight back.
During a 15-minute monologue on First Take, Smith doubled down on his claims that James was “lying” about his past remarks on Bronny. He also suggested that James’ frustration stemmed from his refusal to name him the greatest basketball player of all time.
“The day he confronted me was the same day my new contract was announced. So, like everyone else, he knows I’m not going anywhere anytime soon,” Smith said. “I was here before he entered the league in 2003, and I’ll likely be here when he’s gone. Deal with it, bro. It’s not a crime for Michael Jordan to be the GOAT, but apparently, it is for him.”
Smith then shifted to attacking James’ past absences, making unfounded claims about his failure to attend certain events.
“I suggest he be grateful for the things I haven’t brought up,” Smith said. “I never really discussed why he skipped Kobe Bryant’s memorial service. I also never brought up why he missed Dwyane Wade’s Hall of Fame induction, despite Wade being responsible for his first championship.”
However, contrary to Smith’s accusations, James did attend the “Celebration of Life” for Bryant and his daughter Gianna at the Staples Center on February 24, 2020. Although he did not speak at the event, several media outlets—including The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and Entertainment Tonight—confirmed his presence. Additionally, WNBA star Diana Taurasi referenced James during her remarks, appearing to look directly at him.
As for Wade’s Hall of Fame induction, Smith misrepresented the timeline. The ceremony occurred two weeks after Bronny suffered cardiac arrest, not weeks before, as Smith claimed. At the time, James was with his family at the Mayo Clinic for Bronny’s medical care.
Following social media backlash pointing out these inaccuracies, Smith later backpedaled, saying his phone was “blowing up” before insisting he never actually said James skipped the memorial.
“I didn’t mean to say he wasn’t in the building,” Smith clarified. “I was told he was there, but we didn’t see him. Why? That’s for him to answer if he chooses.”
ESPN declined to comment on Smith’s false claims. However, it appears the network took steps to minimize the spread of misinformation. While First Take’s official social media accounts shared a clip including Smith’s remarks about the memorial and Hall of Fame induction, those portions were omitted from the version uploaded to ESPN’s YouTube channel.