With the return of NBA regular season action, the feud between Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James has officially been reignited. The famed analyst and the future Hall of Famer clashed after their very public argument last season involving James’ son. The King didn’t like that Smith was talking smack about Bronny and let him hear about it.
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There weren’t really any verbal battles over the summer. Life was peaceful. Then, on the eve of tip-off, Smith landed the first body slam of the 25/26 season. The $100 million man was on Carmelo Anthony’s 7PM In Brooklyn podcast and straight up claimed, “I don’t like his a**,” while talking about James.
One person who loved this outburst? Channing Frye. The retired star analyzed Smith’s bombshell on the Road Trippin podcast alongside fellow retired veteran, Richard Jefferson.
“I think this is hilarious. Speak your truth Stephen A. Speak it right before the season,” joked Frye, who clearly didn’t care too much about the rivalry but was happy to let it entertain him before 82 Games of talking ball. He even credited Smith for taking this approach before tip-off.
“The man’s a genius. This offseason has been pretty slow for the most part. He’s a genius when it comes to garnering attention. When you generate billions of views, you know what the F you’re doing,” he added.
This is accurate. If SAS is good at one thing, it’s capitalizing on a story and somehow making it more about himself than anything else. That’s not a knock. Few can do it with such poise and showmanship. There’s a reason there are rumors he might run for President someday.
Frye knows this as well, and mentioned again, how particularly placed these comments on Melo’s podcast were. “If he didn’t want to talk about Bron, he wouldn’t talk about Bron.” To set the stage even further, Frye compared the situation to a WWE rivalry, specifically, the one between Macho Man Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan.
“It’s great TV.” F***LeBron,” he said with a smile. “I’m gonna say it to. F*** LeBron. I hate him too. I’m just kidding.”
He was obviously kidding. Frye is close with both Smith and Bron and doesn’t really seem like he wants any smoke with either of them. “I like it that he says I don’t like him. Keep it real, and that’s what he’s doing,” he added.
So, as the NBA season tips off, Smith and James are already giving fans a sideshow before the main event even starts. Whether it’s genuine tension or just smart timing from a media mastermind, Stephen A. knows exactly how to keep his name buzzing.
Frye and the rest of us might just be here for the laughs, but let’s be honest…it’s working. If this is how the season starts, just imagine what the next few months of drama, debates, and dunks will bring.
