The Lakers vs Knicks game became a hot topic, not because of the Lakers’ OT win, but because of the drama brewing on the sidelines. It turned into a LeBron James vs Stephen A. Smith show — the moment the NBA community had been waiting for after all the smack Stephen A. had talked about LeBron and his son, questioning his fatherly duties. Since that confrontation, multiple updates have dropped and the latest reveal came courtesy of a former ESPN personality.

Stephen A. thought he could talk about the Lakers star’s son behind the First Take studio and get away with it. But little did he know, he was messing with a father who would defend his kid anytime, anywhere even in front of the entire Crypto.com crowd. While Stephen A. was left stunned, the NBA community was divided. Some believed LeBron’s move was justified, the others felt it should’ve been handled behind closed doors. But before jumping to conclusions, hold your judgments as there seems to be another angle to this story.

Like every show covering the NBA, Run It Back also had this discussion going on when Michelle Beadle disclosed something new. “There’s been some added on stories to that by the way, just a side note, that allegedly LeBron did try to reach out privately and that Stephen A. Smith did not do that and so I guess… he was there, here’s the moment, we’re doing it, everything’s just entertainment,” she said.

This cannot be completely dismissed, especially after Stephen A. confirmed the cold relationship he has had with LeBron James for years. Smith criticized him as a player and took shots at Bronny James’ draft for months, but nothing triggered LeBron until he raised his finger at the father. “I am pleading with LeBron James as a father. Stop this. We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad,” the ESPN veteran said on First Take. That was it for LeBron.

When he saw Smith in the stands on Thursday, LeBron wasted no time walking up to him and reportedly telling him to keep his son out of their drama. Coming back to the discussion on the show, the guest, an ex-Warrior, understood LeBron’s emotions that led him to take the step but offered some advice for him.

Former Warriors star weighs in on the LeBron James-Stephen A. Smith confrontation

No one expected LeBron James to make a move like that in front of a packed arena during the game. Not even Stephen A. Smith. But that’s LeBron for you, always surprising with the unexpected. And Thursday was just another example. But Tim Hardaway wasn’t entirely on board with how the confrontation went down.

“Bron has the right to come and confront you whenever he wants to confront you. I do the same thing, I just do it behind closed door,” he said, responding to Chandler Parsons’ question on his view. He further mentioned that had the former guard been in LeBron’s shoes, he would’ve kept it private instead of confronting the person publicly.

Hardaway explained how the 4x champion acted impulsively, “LeBron did it in a situation where he don’t want to see Stephen A. Smith, he don’t want to go talk to Stephen A. Smith, that presented itself right then and there, LeBron said ‘This is my opportunity to go to this man, I don’t care if it’s in front of 20,000 people, I don’t care, I got to tell this man how I feel right now’ and he went and told him that right now.”

The 58-year-old then offered his advice to LeBron, sharing how he would’ve dealt with the matter. “I would have chose to tell him, come in the back, let me get this room over here, across here, let me talk to you for a second and after the game and then I have some choice words for you and make you understand how I feel about you and then I just close the door and leave,” Hardaway added.