"I would’ve immediately swung on him": Stephen A. Smith sheds new light on LeBron James beef referencing Chris Rock & Will Smith’s viral slap incident
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith said he would have swung at LeBron James had the Los Angeles Lakers superstar put his hands on him during their courtside confrontation earlier this month.
The fiery host of "First Take" shared his thoughts while reacting to what James said during his appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," where he addressed their altercation and ongoing friction.
On his own show Wednesday, Smith fired back at James' comments, emphasizing that the situation could have escalated had the four-time NBA champion gotten physical with him.
He even referenced the infamous altercation between Hollywood stars Chris Rock and Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars, saying:
"When said what he had to say, I was in no position to give any kind of retort without making a scene... And had I done something, what do you all want me to do, act like it's a reincarnation of Chris Rock and Will Smith?"
"And let me state for the record, while we bring that up, let me assure you it would not have gone down like that. I would have gotten my ass kicked, because had that man put his hands on me, I would have immediately swung on him. Immediately. That I'm not gonna tolerate."
Check out what he had to say below, beginning at 6:54:
The friction between Stephen A. Smith and James stemmed from what James felt was excessive criticism—bordering on personal—by the analyst regarding his son, Lakers rookie Bronny James. The situation escalated when James confronted Smith during the Lakers’ game against the New York Knicks on March 6 in LA.
James’ appearance on McAfee's show marked the first time he publicly addressed the incident.
LeBron James claims Stephen A. Smith enjoys their current spat
Also on "The Pat McAfee Show," LeBron James claimed that no one is enjoying their current spat more than Smith — even though the analyst insists otherwise.
The LA Lakers star compared Smith’s repeated comments about the altercation to a media tour for pop icon Taylor Swift.
James said:
"It started off with, 'I didn't want to address it. I wasn't going to address it, but since the video came out, I feel the need to address it.' Motherf**er, are you kidding me? If there's one person who couldn't wait for the video to drop so you could address it, it's your a**."
While tensions remain high between the two sports personalities, James is focused on helping the Lakers secure a strong position in the postseason.