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

Thursday night, LeBron James confronted ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith courtside during the Lakers-Knicks game. A video of the confrontation showed the Lakers star getting in Smith's face and warning him to "keep my son out this shit."

Smith opened "First Take" on Friday by discussing the exchange:

"That was LeBron James coming up to me, unexpectedly, I might add, to confront me about making sure I mind what I say about his son [Bronny James].

"Can’t repeat the words because they ain’t suited for FCC airwaves, that’s what he was doing. And I thought long and hard about this over the last few hours cause I had no intention on talking about this at all. And the reason was because it was a one-on-one, I wouldn’t say it was a conversation but it was a one-on-one confrontation. But then I wake up and everybody from ESPN, my agent and everybody else sending me that this thing had gone viral, so, ultimately it was unavoidable and that is why I have to discuss it now.

"He walked right up to me, and he said what he had to say, and he feels like I was slighting his son. Now let me tell you what I feel. What I would have said if we were in a different environment, cause I was not going to engage in a confrontation at that particular moment in that setting. But if he had had that conversation, I would have said to LeBron James I never would speak negatively about your son. I was talking about you."

LeBron is presumably referring to comments Smith made last month when he "pleaded" with him to stop pushing for his son Bronny to remain on the Lakers main roster.

"I am pleading with LeBron James, as a father. Stop this. We all know Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad," Smith said before accusing James of exposing his son as not ready for the NBA.

"He belongs in the G League [until he's ready to play in the NBA]," Smith added, citing Bronny averaging 0 points, 0 assists, and 0 rebounds in the NBA through his first 13 games.

Where is the unjust criticism? More to Smith's point, where is the criticism of Bronny?  By all accounts, Smith was calling out LeBron. Not Bronny.

It was LeBron who used his influence to force the Lakers to draft his son, telling the franchise before the draft, "You want [to keep] me? Draft Bronny." 

Bronny did not decide he should take up a roster spot over a qualified NBA player because his dad is LeBron James. LeBron James decided that and the Lakers listened.

Moreover, LeBron is 40 years old yet still handles himself like a teen. 

He could have contacted Stephen A. privately—Smith is friends with LeBron's agent, Rich Paul—or confronted him before or after the game when the cameras were off. Instead, LeBron got in Smith's face during the game, clearly looking to make a scene.

Similarly, LeBron mocked the record of the Wisconsin–Green Bay college basketball team on X last week because its coach, Doug Gottlieb, also questioned the restoration of Bronny on his Fox Sports Radio Show.

Take a look:

While defending his son is admirable, LeBron comes across as an unhinged meathead trying to bully the media. 

Bronny James should not be on an NBA roster. He wouldn't be on one if his last name were Rodgers. And LeBron is naive to think no one should say anything about the clearest case of nepotism in professional sports today.

In the meantime, LeBron is humiliating Bronny each time he goes onto a court against players to whom he is objectively inferior. Instead of honing his craft and improving his game, Bronny is subject to national attention because he is so out of place as a pro.

That's LeBron's fault, and he, not Bronny, deserves the criticism for it.

 Stephen A. is right.