Lebron James vs. Stephen A. Smith: Breaking down the drama

Side-by-side images of LeBron James, left, and Stephen A. Smith.

By Christian OrozcoAssistant Editor, De Los

March 29, 2025 6:30 AM PT

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Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Here’s what you need to know:

A breakdown of the feud between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith.
One case involves a Venezuelan accused by federal officials of having a gang tattoo. The man’s family said the tattoo supports his favorite soccer team.
14 nouveau L.A. cafes for a chic coffee or matcha break.
And here’s today’s e-newspaper

Why is LeBron James beefing with ESPN’s biggest star?

On the night of Oct. 22, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. and his father, LeBron James Sr., became the first father and son to play together in an NBA game.

ESPN’s star personality and recurring “General Hospital” actor Stephen A. Smith says he stood to applaud the moment from the Crypto.com Arena stands.

A little over five months later, Smith and LeBron Sr. are embroiled in a public spat, going from podcast to television show to publicly insult each other. A few weeks ago they had a heated exchange in the middle of a game.

Bronny and LeBron James leave the court after a win.

The amount of time Smith has put into the rivalry as a pundit is expected, but LeBron Sr. is less than 10 games away from beginning the playoffs with the Lakers. The basketball star has a reputation for being able to silence media noise in the most crucial moments, but the family element of this quarrel seems to have hit a little too close to home this time.

While the ending of this feud isn’t in sight, let’s take a look back at the beginning of this daytime drama-like beef and unpack the latest saga in the Lakers’ headline-making season.

The nepotism accusations that started it all

Smith says his distaste for Lebron Sr. goes way back. But it really started to heat up when the basketball player claimed that his son, then playing at USC, was better than other players in the NBA. Smith’s distaste escalated when LeBron announced he’d only play for a team that drafted his son.

The Lakers obliged. Bronny defenders chalk up his substandard college numbers to the recovery he made from his shocking cardiac arrest in 2023.

A basketball player looks to pass the ball.

As you might imagine, the accusations of nepotism were deafening, including from Smith.

It didn’t help that Bronny had a weak start to the season.

For Smith, Jan. 28 was a breaking point. The Lakers traveled to Philadelphia to play the 76ers in a nationally televised game. The Lakers coach and former podcast host JJ Redick gave Bronny some valuable playing time in the first half.

In his 15 minutes of play, Bronny scored 0 points, missing the five shots he took. Smith had thoughts.

“I am pleading with LeBron James as a father: Please stop this. We all know Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad,” he said on ESPN’s “First Take.”

Six weeks later, LeBron spotted Smith in the front row of Crypto.com Arena. In the middle of a game, he made his way over.

LeBron towered over Smith and gave him a piece of his mind. There were no microphones to catch what he said, but according to Smith he told him to “stop f— with my son.”

After this moment, Bronny had his best game as a pro. He has remained a consistent contributor for the Lakers ever since, and Smith admitted that he may have been wrong about Bronny’s skills.

Beef over, right? Wrong.

Is it a real beef if you don’t spew petty insults on a podcast?

On Wednesday, LeBron made an appearance on ESPN’s “Pat McAfee Show.” Mid-interview, McAfee slipped Smith’s name into a question and got LeBron going.

LeBron accused Smith of being “on a Taylor Swift tour run” and that he “couldn’t wait until the video had dropped” so Smith could reap the publicity. He even said Smith would be “smiling from ear-to-ear” hearing him talk about it while Smith listens in his “tighty-whities.”

Smith denied wearing “tighty-whities” the following day during a 52-minute video he posted on YouTube titled “LeBron … the lies keep coming.”

“I just want to say for the record LeBron James is full of it,” Smith said in the video. “And in this particular instance, as it pertains to his son, he is a liar.”

“Had that man put his hands on me, I would have immediately swung on him.”

Smith wasn’t done. He took his passionate anger to “First Take” and brought up stuff he said he wouldn’t bring up. He claimed LeBron wasn’t at Kobe Bryant’s funeral (he was and Smith later corrected himself on the show), called him out for missing Dwyane Wade’s Hall of Fame induction (Bronny had his cardiac arrest episode only weeks prior) and supported his co-host’s insinuation that LeBron chooses to do podcasts with his white friends over his Black friends.

So who’s right? It depends on if you believe LeBron is an egomaniac who enables nepotism for his own vanity or if Smith is using his platform to disparage a father who wants the best for his children.

I am not qualified to answer that question. Maybe you are? I do know I will be grabbing my popcorn as the Lakers head into the postseason and Smith looks for his next exercise in soap opera-like commentary.

The week’s biggest stories

Border Patrol agents stand inside a gate in one of two border walls separating Mexico from the United States.

Deportations and arrests raise questions over how the Trump administration decides whom to expel

One case involves a Venezuelan accused by federal officials of having a gang tattoo. The man’s family said the tattoo supports his favorite soccer team.
Meanwhile, an Orange County couple with no criminal history were suddenly deported to Colombia after living in the U.S. for decades.
And on college campuses in California, international students are on alert after the arrests of pro-Palestinian activists.

Federal departments investigating Elon Musk have been cut by DOGE and the Trump administration

Musk’s efforts to trim the federal workforce and Trump’s push to install loyalists come as multiple agencies or departments have been regulating or investigating the billionaire’s companies.
The Trump administration has halted or moved to dismiss investigations against 89 corporations, including Musk’s companies, according to Public Citizen, a consumer rights group.

Several sea lions and dolphins in Southern California have been poisoned by harmful algal blooms

The algal blooms produce a neurotoxin that can kill dolphins and sea lions.
Experts warn beachgoers to not interact with sea lions believed to be sick because, without warning, they might aggressively lunge or even bite.
A similar poisoning event occurred in 2023 in California, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,000 sea lions.

Students have already found ways to get around cellphone bans at Los Angeles public schools

The bans, which went into effect mid-February at hundreds of L.A. Unified schools, have been partly enforced by having students stow their cellphones in a locking neoprene pouch.
While some students have praised the ban, others have found ways to circumvent the new policy, such as placing decoys in their pouches. And videos on social media reveal ways to break into the pouches.

More big stories

Four major California universities are under federal investigation amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in higher education.
A deadly, drug-resistant fungus that the CDC calls an “urgent threat” is spreading in hospitals.
Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman officially brought the death penalty back to Los Angeles.
Firefighters who battled the Palisades and Eaton blazes had elevated blood levels of mercury and lead, according to an early study.
“Swatting” calls spark panic, fear and massive police responses. Can California finally crack down?
The leaders of LAist and KCRW say the loss of taxpayer funds could hurt local public radio.
A brand-new rose popped up in Barbra Streisand’s garden. Now you can buy it.

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