Rich Paul Plays Defense, Shuts Down Stephen A. Smith’s Beef With LeBron James

Whether you like him or not, LeBron James made a misguided decision to confront a media member under the guise of a "father" rather than a player. 

No one pays to watch LeBron the father — just LBJ the player. 

RELATED: LeBron James Looked Like a Meathead Confronting Stephen A. Over Bronny

Stephen A. Smith, the loquacious ESPN host, was confronted by LeBron over his past commentary on Bronny James, LeBron’s son, who is not an NBA-caliber player. 

John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The incident, which occurred on March 6 during a game against the Knicks in LA, has dominated sports news. LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, offered his perspective on the matter. 

Paul appeared on Pat McAfee’s eponymous show Tuesday to address the unnecessary drama surrounding James and Smith. The agent remained "player-friendly" in defense of his client. 

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 07: ESPN featured commentator and executive producer Stephen A. Smith on set ahead of Super Bowl LIX on February 07, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will face each other on Sunday. (Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 7: Rich Paul hugs LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers after the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 7, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)

"I didn’t think it was much, but as adults you try to handle things the best way possible, so I was glad they were able to move on," Paul said. "But it’s tough — any time you have media platforms, and there’s so many today, and these guys... as much as (they) critique, sometimes it can be felt as if it’s a little bit more than that." 

For one, Stephen A. wasn’t the one who pushed Bronny into the league despite the young man's embarrassingly undercooked skill set. 

Bronny James reportedly will spend most of his rookie season in the G League. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

LeBron’s influence led to Bronny being selected by the Lakers in the second round this past offseason, as well as his inclusion in the Lakers’ opening game of the season — even though Bronny was barely more than a G-League-level talent at the time.

"So there’s a balance there to try to maintain," Paul continued. "I just try to focus on the business of it and keep the personal stuff away. But sometimes you have those things, but we have moved on — it was a dust-up, and we moved on." 

Players and figures around the game have stepped up to support LeBron’s fatherly approach. Meanwhile, the rest of the sports world shakes its head, knowing SAS was right in criticizing Bronny, who ought to spend more time practicing in El Segundo than shadowing his daddy in the spotlight.

"I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father," SAS said in the past. "Stop this. Stop this. We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad."

Is he wrong?

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela