LeBron James sparked controversy earlier this month when he confronted Stephen A. Smith on the sidelines of a Los Angeles Lakers game. While James has remained silent on the incident, others have continued discussing it.
James’ super-agent, Rich Paul, appeared on ESPN and provided insight into the NBA icon’s feelings on the situation.
LeBron James’ Agent Reveals the Lakers Forward’s Thoughts After Sideline Confrontation With Stephen A. Smith
On March 6, James confronted the sports pundit courtside during the Lakers’ game against the New York Knicks. A video of their discussion regarding Smith’s comments on James’ son, Bronny, quickly went viral.
While Smith addressed the situation the next day, James chose not to speak publicly about it—nor did reporters press him on the matter. However, his longtime agent, Paul, appeared on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” and shared James’ perspective.
How do you feel about the situation between LeBron & Stephen A Smith..
"I didn't think it was much & as adults you try to handle things the best way possible..
Sometimes those things happen & we've moved on" ~ @RichPaul4 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/k1x8SpLZAW
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 11, 2025
“Yeah, I mean, I didn’t think it was much,” Paul said. “I think that, as adults, you try to handle things the best way possible, and so, I was glad they were able to move on. It’s tough. Anytime you have media platforms, and there’s so many today, and these guys—as much as they critique—sometimes the critique can feel like it’s more than just that.”
Paul continued, “There’s a balance to maintain, and so for me, I just try to focus on the business side of things and keep the personal stuff separate. Sometimes, these situations happen, but we’ve moved on. It was a dust-up, and we’ve moved on.”
Lakers fans may be relieved that their superstar forward isn’t planning an ongoing feud with Smith—especially while dealing with an injury. James has missed the last two games and is expected to sit out the Lakers’ matchup against the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
Smith Recounts the Encounter With James
Immediately after the confrontation, Smith expressed sympathy for James’ perspective as a father. However, on Tuesday, he reignited the discussion while appearing on the “Gil’s Arena” podcast. “I thought it was weak. I thought it was some bulls**t. But in the moment, I knew that I was listening to a father.
He said, ‘Yo, you gotta stop talking s**t about my son. You gotta stop f***ing with my son—that’s my son. That’s my son.’”
Smith added that while he was caught off guard by James’ demeanor, he wasn’t surprised that James wanted to address the topic of Bronny.