Stephen A. Smith Calls Out LeBron James for His “Best Friend” Comments About Brian Windhorst

Joseph Galizia | 27/03/2025
Stephen A. Smith (L), LeBron James (R)

The saga between Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James has added another chapter. The four-time NBA Champion joined The Pat McAfee Show earlier today for an in-depth interview about the SAS beef, along with Bron’s relationships with other members of NBA media. One person that LBJ brought up was ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who has covered King James since high school. But James didn’t speak about Windy in a positive light.

“I see Brian Windhorst on one of these shows,” said LBJ. “This guy who says he’s my f***ing best friend. These guys are just weird,”  he added, which got a big laugh from McAfee and company.

The comment might have been said in a joking manner, or it might have been Bron speaking what he actually feels. No one can be certain. But Stephen A. caught a hold of the clip, and now he’s using it as ammunition in his battle against the Lakers’ superstar.

“I have worked with Brian Windhorst for years. Never once did he say that LeBron was a best friend,” said Smith on the latest edition of his podcast. A fired-up Smith put Windy on a pedestal, stating that he’s done a magnificent job for ESPN over the years.

Not only that, but SAS seemed disheartened that James would call Windy weird when he has been in LeBron’s corner all these years. “Nobody defends LeBron James more than that man,” SAS added.

SAS continued to defend Windy by throwing James’ own comments back in his face. He recalled when Bron told the media, “Probably no one’s known me better than Brian Windhorst.” It’s not just Smith who seems frustrated with LeBron’s unnecessary shots at well-known analysts. Other members of the media are chiming in, and they are all Team Windy.

Several media members are unhappy with LeBron throwing Windy under the bus

LBJ picked up a fight with the biggest media dog in the yard in Stephen A. Smith. Now, smaller ones are coming out to play, but they still bite.

“Ive never seen Brian Windhorst act like he and LeBron are close? It always baffled me when people accused Windy of being in the tank for him,” wrote FOS media reporter Ryan Glasspiegel on X.

His outcry was joined by Andrew Marchand from The Athletic, who wrote, “Windhorst has never said that. He has covered LeBron for a long time. Weak sauce from LeBron.”

James’ comments couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Lakers are currently on a three-game losing streak and have to face the red-hot Indiana Pacers later tonight. King James and Luka will have to silence their critics soon because, with the postseason coming up and SAS refusing to back down, it might be difficult for LBJ to focus on capturing that elusive fifth ring.

Post Edited By: Sameen Nawathe
brian windhorst LeBron James Stephen A Smith

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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