LeBron James opens up about the real reason behind his feud with Stephen A. Smith: “He’s on a Taylor Swift tour run”

What started as a tense courtside exchange has now turned into a full-blown media feud. LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith have had their fair share of disagreements over the years, but things hit a breaking point on March 6 during the Lakers’ 113-109 win over the Knicks. Cameras caught LeBron visibly frustrated, seemingly directing his anger at Smith. It didn’t take long for speculation to take over, and after weeks of hearing Smith talk about it on multiple platforms, LeBron finally decided to fire back.

On March 26, LeBron James appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and made it clear he’d had enough of Stephen A. Smith’s constant commentary. What started as a discussion about Bronny James’ on-court performance had, in LeBron’s view, become something much more personal. And he wasn’t about to let it slide.
“He’s like on a Taylor Swift tour run right now,” James said. “It started off with, ‘I didn’t want to address it.’ He wasn’t going to address it, but since the video came out, he felt the need to address it. Motherf****r, are you kidding me? If there’s one person that couldn’t wait until the video dropped so he could address it, it’s your a**.”

The video in question showed LeBron heated during a timeout, yelling, “Keep my son out of this s***, bro,” in Smith’s direction. While many assumed LeBron was upset over critiques of Bronny’s skills, he later clarified it was about something much deeper.
“He completely missed the whole point,” James said. “Never would I ever not allow people to talk about the sport, criticize players for what they do on the court. That is your job. But when you take it and get personal, it’s my job to not only protect my damn household but protect the players.”


If there’s one thing Stephen A. Smith isn’t going to do, it’s stay quiet. He continued addressing the situation on multiple shows, including ‘Gil’s Arena’, hosted by former NBA star Gilbert Arenas. And he wasn’t exactly backing down.
“I thought it was weak, I thought it was some bulls**t,” Smith said. “But in the moment, I knew that I was listening to a father.”
That last part stood out, especially given that Arenas himself has been a longtime LeBron supporter. “The reason I felt that LeBron is the GOAT is because during pressure times, he still makes the actual right decision vs. what us fans and the public want him to do,” Arenas has said before.
LeBron, knowing full well that his words would only give Smith more airtime, still couldn’t resist taking one last jab.
“I know [Smith’s] gonna be happy as he**,” James said. “He’s gonna be smiling from ear to ear when he hears me talking about him. He’s gonna get home, grab some ice cream out of the f***ing freezer, and sit in his chair in his tighty-whities on the couch… Dude, like relax, bro.”
Also Read: NBA News and Updates: Bronny James delivers career-best, Stephen A. Smith reverses stance, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura injury update and more
At this point, it’s hard to see this feud cooling off anytime soon. Smith continues to milk it for airtime, and LeBron has made it clear he’s going to defend his family at all costs. Whether this will eventually blow over or escalate even further remains to be seen, but for now, the drama is only getting bigger—both on the court and in the media.