“We’ve Talked Enough About Him”: Stephen a Smith Refused to Speak on LeBron James During Lakers-Celtics Game

Prateek Singh | 10/03/2025
LeBron James(L), Larry David and Stephen A. Smith(R)

Stephen A. Smith has built a career on bold takes and unfiltered opinions. Very rarely do we see him draw a line and state that he won’t address or talk about something. During the Lakers-Celtics matchup, the ESPN analyst did the unexpected – he refused to talk about LeBron James.

While Bob Myers was raving about LBJ and his ability to amaze the fans by playing like an MVP-caliber athlete at the age of 40, SAS showed no interest in the topic. A surprising move for someone who has spent years debating LeBron’s every move, but this wasn’t just about basketball.

The media veteran was recently confronted by LBJ regarding his criticism of Bronny James. His refusal to engage in LeBron talk felt more like a calculated decision than mere disinterest. SAS addressed the confrontation on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “He approached me during the (Lakers-Knicks) game and he said, ‘Stop effing with my son,’” Smith revealed.

Talking about athletes and analyzing their performances is what Smith does for a living. So, expecting him to not talk about Bronny isn’t realistic. However, the media veteran is seemingly showing less interest in the James family altogether. During the Celtics-Lakers half-time break, he said, “We’ve talked enough about him during the pre-game, how about Jayson Tatum right now?”

Smith wanted Myers to stop talking about LBJ and discuss Tatum instead. It’s clear that SAS is a bit shaken by the interaction he had with LBJ as he even implied on First Take he would’ve preferred if the conversation was had privately.

Though, his reaction made sense from an analytical standpoint considering the Lakers were down four points by half-time while JT was having a great outing. The Celtics superstar finished the game with 40 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, leading his team to a 111-101 win to break LA’s eight-game winning streak.

LeBron James confirmed that he confronted Stephen A. Smith for Bronny James

LeBron confronting SAS for his comments on Bronny made a lot of noise. Fans were conflicted, debating whether his decision was right or wrong. Since the audio wasn’t clear initially, there was some confusion among fans on what was said by LBJ. The Lakers superstar made it all clear before the Celtics matchup.

LeBron was seen talking to Richard Jefferson during the pre-game shootaround. In the leaked audio from their interaction, LeBron was heard saying, “That’s the only thing. That’s the only thing I’m tripping…I don’t give a f**k…I’m pleading you as a father.”

LBJ had his reasons as a father to protect his son. However, in this business, no athlete can remain protected forever. It will also be interesting to see whether SAS’s reaction to LeBron talk was his way of avoiding further drama or simply a temporary stance. One thing is certain when it comes to basketball and LeBron: Stephen A. won’t stay quiet for long.

Post Edited By: Dhruv Rupani
LeBron James

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Prateek Singh

Prateek is a Senior NBA Writer for The SportsRush. He has over 900 published articles under his name. Prateek merged his passion for writing and his love for the sport of basketball to make a career out of it. Other than basketball, he is also an ardent follower of the UFC and soccer. Apart from the world of sports, he has followed hip-hop religiously and often writes about the origins, evolution, and the biggest stars of the music genre.

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