Stephen A. Smith suggests LeBron James’ confrontations influenced by race

ESPN host Stephen A. Smith suggested LeBron James‘ treatment of certain people may be influenced by their race. 

Smith, in an interview on “The Pivot Podcast” with Ryan Clark, addressed his recent interactions with James and appeared to reference an incident when James confronted Smith at a Lakers’ game in March. 

“You ever see LeBron go at a White boy? Let’s call it what it is. You ever see him do that? You’ll say you saw him come at me,” Smith said. 

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Smith appeared to be addressing the incident and Smith’s past criticism of James’ Lakers’ handling of the superstar’s son, Bronny James. 

“Anybody with professional ethics, who knows sports and knows what comes with it knows that I did not do anything wrong to that young man. But to paint me as somebody that would attack a child, just because I dislike you, it’s low, it’s low,” Smith said. 

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After a Los Angeles Lakers game against the New York Knicks in March, Smith revealed the incident stemmed from his televised criticisms of Bronny. 

“That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me. That was a parent. That was a father,” Smith said on ESPN. “I can’t sit here and be angry or feel slighted by LeBron James in that regard. By all accounts, he’s obviously a wonderful family man and father who cares very, very deeply about his son.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and ESPN host Stephen A. Smith speak before a game in LA March 3, 2022. (Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

James pushed back against that notion in an interview on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN later that month. 

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“Never would I ever not allow people to talk about the sport, criticize players about what they do on the court. That is your job — to criticize or be in a position where, OK, a guy is not performing … that is all part of the game. When you take it and when you get personal with it, it’s my job to not only protect my damn household but protect the players,” James said. 

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