The ongoing feud between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith shows no signs of slowing down. It all started back in January when Smith criticized Bronny James after the young guard made the jump from the developmental NBA G League to the Lakers. Moreover, apart from being labeled as a blatant favor to the basketball superstar, Bronny’s performance on the court raised many eyebrows. He appeared in 15 games, averaging 1.4 points per game with just a 25 percent shooting percentage. Not a good showing at all! This led Smith to make a pointed remark, not just at Bronny, but at LeBron himself at the end of January. “I am really, really trying to be as respectful as I possibly can be to LeBron James. I am pleading with LeBron James as a father: Stop this, stop this. We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad.”

LeBron didn’t take kindly to the criticism, and understandably so. He responded with a strong performance in the Lakers’ thrilling win against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden earlier this month. But it was his post-game interaction with Smith that truly grabbed the spotlight. Their courtside exchange quickly went viral, sparking a wave of fan reactions. Smith addressed the situation, revealing that LeBron had confronted him over the comments about Bronny.

The NBA commentator expressed disappointment, “It was all about his son. It was almost as if he was thinking that anything I said about Bronny was a result of [Smith and LeBron’s relationship]. I wasn’t talking about Bronny; I was talking about him, because of the position that Bronny was in.” Moreover, Smith stated on his ‘First Take’ show “That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me. That was a parent, that was a father.” However, former UFC champion Michael Bisping disagreed with Smith’s perspective.

On the Believe You Me podcast, Bisping defended LeBron’s decision to confront Smith directly. “Basically, LeBron James confronted Stephen A. Smith because I don’t know what the commentary was, but obviously he has been saying some things that he took exception to. Didn’t like it, maybe criticizing his son’s ability on the basketball court. Stephen A. Smith is trying to defend himself. Do you know what I say? I say fair play to fu—ng LeBron James.”

Even his podcast co-host Paul Felder agreed with Bisping, emphasizing that a father standing up for his son is never the wrong thing to do. Felder added, “And if he’s talking about your son. I mean, you are dad, you are going to feel a certain type of way, and you’re going to kind of defend your own.”

Throughout his career, LeBron James has often divided fans with his actions both on and off the court. This situation proved to be no different. Adding to the conversation, a former Warriors star also weighed in on the controversy, sharing his perspective on the heated exchange.

Tim Hardaway weighs in on LeBron James vs. Stephen A. Smith situation

Nobody saw it coming—LeBron James confronting Stephen A. Smith right there in front of a packed arena. Not even Smith himself. But that’s LeBron for you—always finding a way to keep people on their toes. Thursday’s moment was yet another example of that. However, not everyone agreed with how it all played out, including NBA legend Tim Hardaway.

After Chandler Parsons asked for his thoughts on the situation, Hardaway shared his perspective. “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 doors,” Hardaway said.

Meanwhile, fans haven’t been shy about voicing their opinions. Many are pointing out contradictions in Smith’s response, questioning whether he’s genuinely upset or simply using the moment to create buzz. As for LeBron? He’s remained mostly silent, leaving everyone wondering—will he respond, or let Smith keep talking? One thing’s for sure: this saga is far from over.

What do you think? Did LeBron make the right call by confronting Smith publicly? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!