Stephen A. Smith made things personal and stepped out of bounds as a sports commentator in his feud with LeBron James, according to FS1 analyst Ric Bucher.
During an appearance Tuesday on “The Doug Gottlieb Show,” Bucher explained Smith took things too far when he addressed James, 40, on “First Take” in January and begged the Lakers star to stop exposing his son, 20-year-old rookie Bronny James, as an illegitimate NBA player.
“They perceive it as a sports commentator, or someone in the media overstepping their bounds — making something that wasn’t about sport, making it personal, and maybe doing it for attention and clicks as opposed to being genuine commentary,” Bucher said when asked about how fellow players around the league perceived Smith’s previous comments.
“… The problem with the conversations around Bronny James is there is the conversation about whether Bronny belongs in the NBA or is a legitimate NBA player, and Lebron’s part in that and what Bronny’s potential is.
“And then there is where Stephen A. took it, which is, ‘I’m begging you as a father, don’t do this to your son.’ That’s what made it personal.
“Let’s take a step back. Think about LeBron James and his history and the fact that he didn’t grow up with a dad. And by all accounts, [he] wants to the be the dad he never had, he wants to be a good dad to his kids. And Stephen A. was basically saying publicly, ‘You’re not being good dad to your son, and I’m going to pull you up on that. I’m going to tell you about how you should be a good father to your son.’ And that’s where it went out of bounds.”
James has been open about not having a relationship with his biological father and being raised by his mother, Gloria Marie James, who gave birth to him at 16 years old, in Akron, Ohio.
“I don’t think it was genuine. I thought it was theater,” Bucher said about Smith and his January comments centered on James and Bronny.
“And when you get into something that means as that to LeBron James, he’s going to say something and other players are going to look at it in the same way, ‘You’re talking about my family. You’re not talking about an NBA player now’ — not the way that Stephen A framed it. ‘You’re talking about my family.’ And they’re going to feel some kind of way about that.”
Bucher added he didn’t “have a problem” with James’ response to Smith.
Last Thursday, the four-time NBA champ confronted Smith during the Lakers’ 113-109 overtime win against the Knicks in Los Angeles, where the ESPNer sat courtside.
James and Smith, who sat with Endeavor chief executive Ari Emanuel and actor Larry David, appeared animated during the face-to-face but social media footage of the exchange did not convey what was said.
While James has yet to address the situation publicly, Smith detailed the encounter on “First Take” last Friday after it went viral.
“That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me. That was a parent,” Smith said, adding that it was an “unexpected” occurrence. “That was a father. I can’t sit here and be angry or feel slighted by LeBron James in any way in that regard. By all accounts, he’s obviously a wonderful family man and a wonderful father who cares very, very deeply about his son… He clearly took exception to some of the things he heard me say and he confronted me about it.”
Smith added he couldn’t repeat what James said to him because it wasn’t suitable for television.
“Apparently he feels like I was slighting his son,” Smith said. “…What I would’ve said if we were in a different environment because I was not going to engage in a confrontation in that particular moment and setting.
“But if we had had that conversation, I would have said to LeBron James, ‘I never would speak negatively about your son. I was talking about you,’ meaning you, LeBron James,” Smith said.
“… I was talking about the position that he was put in by his dad … My point months ago was that because of who you are, one of the top two players in the history of basketball in my estimation, there’s an immense amount of pressure that comes with that for his son … And that’s when I was talking about, ‘Come on, man. This is the situation that you’re putting him in.’ That’s where I was coming from.”
Smith made those specific comments while reacting to Bronny’s poor outing in the Lakers’ 118-104 loss to the 76ers on Jan. 28.
Bronny went 0-for-5 with three turnovers in 15 minutes, and Lakers head coach JJ Redick questioned inserting the rookie in his rotation.
“I’m really, really trying to be as respectful as I possibly can be towards LeBron James… I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father. Stop this,” Smith said at the time.
“We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad. The first game of the season, opening knight, the Griffey’s in attendance, father-son duo playing in an NBA game for the first time. An absolutely positively wonderful story. And then reality sets in.
“We love what we’re seeing from him in the G-League because that’s where you belong as you hone your skills and you get better and you legitimately earn, which I believe has the potential to do. I am rooting for Bronny James. It would be cruel to root against him. He’s a wonderful kid, I wish him nothing but the best. But he’s LeBron James’ son, and everybody knows what attention that brings.
“…How are you doing him favors? We know that he’s not ready yet. And I’m saying this with compassion… You know what [Bronny’s stats at the time] mean. You know what it’s going to do to your son, to people that are missing out on opportunities, that are busting their tail on other NBA teams and the G League and Europe and everywhere else, what kind of opportunity they’re starving for. You’re exposing your son like this?”
Bronny was selected in the second round of last year’s NBA draft at No. 55 overall. He spent the 2023-24 season at USC.
Since his confrontation with James, Smith — the recipient of a new five-year, $100 million deal with ESPN — has been candid about the fallout.
James, who’s sidelined with a groin injury he sustained against the Celtics on March 8, returned to Los Angeles on Wednesday per medical recommendation, according to ESPN.
The Lakers (40-23) face the Bucks (36-28) in Milwaukee on Thursday.
