Stephen A. Smith Swung on Lebron, Missed And he’s fallen in love.

Stephen A. Smith Swung on LeBron, Missed, and He’s Fallen in Love

Stephen A. Smith is no stranger to controversy, and this past month has been no different. The ESPN star, known for his fiery takes and larger-than-life personality, has found himself at the center of two major headlines—his ongoing feud with LeBron James and rumors of a romance with fellow ESPN analyst Molly Qerim.

Whether he’s taking verbal swings at one of the greatest basketball players of all time or dodging questions about his personal life, one thing remains clear: Stephen A. Smith is once again the main character in the world of sports media.

The Swing at LeBron That Missed

Stephen A. Smith has built his career on strong opinions, and LeBron James has long been one of his favorite subjects. While Smith has praised LeBron plenty over the years, he’s also been one of his harshest critics, never hesitating to call out what he sees as LeBron’s shortcomings.

But in recent weeks, Smith has escalated his criticism, questioning LeBron’s leadership and suggesting that the Lakers star isn’t the same dominant force he once was. The remarks didn’t go unnoticed, and LeBron himself responded in classic fashion—by mocking Smith on social media.

LeBron’s response wasn’t just about defending himself. It was a direct shot at the way Smith and other media personalities sometimes shape narratives to fit their agendas. LeBron’s post instantly went viral, with fans laughing at Smith’s failed attempt to undermine one of the greatest players in NBA history.

Smith, never one to let things slide, fired back. He doubled down on his critiques, insisting that he was simply speaking the truth about LeBron’s decline. But at this point, the damage had been done—Smith had swung, missed, and found himself on the receiving end of one of LeBron’s most talked-about social media moments.

Rumors of Love: The Molly Qerim Speculation

Just as the dust was settling from his clash with LeBron, Stephen A. found himself in the headlines again—this time for something much more personal. Rumors began circulating that Smith was dating his “First Take” co-host, Molly Qerim.

The speculation started after a social media post falsely attributed a suggestive quote to Smith, making it seem like he was bragging about how he won over Qerim. While the claim was quickly debunked as a parody, it reignited old rumors that had been circulating since Qerim’s 2021 divorce from Jalen Rose.

Jalen Rose himself has already addressed these rumors in the past, calling them “laughable” and making it clear that Smith had nothing to do with his breakup with Qerim. Smith, for his part, has also denied the allegations.

Despite these denials, the internet loves a good rumor, and fans have continued to speculate about a possible romance between Smith and Qerim. Whether there’s any truth to it or not, the mere suggestion has kept social media buzzing, adding yet another layer to Smith’s already chaotic week.

Stephen A. Smith: Always in the Spotlight

Few figures in sports media command attention like Stephen A. Smith. Whether he’s feuding with LeBron James, shutting down relationship rumors, or simply delivering his signature passionate rants on ESPN, he always finds a way to stay relevant.

This latest chapter in Smith’s career has been particularly eventful. He took a swing at LeBron, only to end up on the receiving end of a viral clapback. He tried to ignore the dating rumors, only for them to gain even more traction. It’s been a week full of hits and misses—both figuratively and, in the case of LeBron, quite literally.

Where does he go from here? Will he take another shot at LeBron, hoping to land a blow that sticks? Will he finally put the dating rumors to rest? Or will he continue to do what he does best—keep talking, keep debating, and keep dominating the sports media landscape?

One thing’s for sure: Stephen A. Smith isn’t going anywhere. Love him or hate him, he remains one of the most entertaining—and unpredictable—figures in sports media today.

In a related News

One of the biggest names in sports is at odds with one of the biggest names in sports media.

As the Lakers hosted the Knicks on Thursday, March 6, superstar LeBron James confronted ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith with a passionate message during a timeout. A fan sitting at Crypto.com Arena recorded the moment and shared it to X (formerly Twitter), causing the one-sided exchange to go viral overnight.

In the weeks following the incident, Smith took to various platforms to address James and the incident. As things began to die down, James fanned the flames by addressing Smith during an hour-long appearance on the Pat McAfee show, which was simulcast on YouTube and ESPN.

The newest chapter of the beef has consisted of jokes, semi-serious threats of physical violence, internet memes, and personal shots. Here’s how things got to where they are at this point.

LeBron James vs. Stephen A. Smith, explained

Stephen A. Smith Bronny James comments

While things intensified in early March, seeds of the feud were likely planted throughout Smith’s decades-long coverage of James and the NBA. The final straw is believed to be Smith’s comments on LeBron’s son, Bronny, after a Lakers loss to the 76ers on Jan. 28, 2025.

In a monologue on ESPN’s “First Take,” Smith spoke at length about Bronny’s struggles in the league before directing the blame toward LeBron.

I’m really trying to be as respectful as I possibly can be. Towards LeBron James, one of the top two or three players in the history of basketball, No. 2 in my eyes. … 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. First game of the season, opening night … father-son duo playing in an NBA game for the first time. An absolutely, positively wonderful story. And then reality sets in. We love what we’re seeing from him in the G League, because that’s where you belong. As you hone your skills and you get better and you legitimately earn — which I believe he has the potential to do, I am rooting for Bronny James — it would be cruel to root against him … But, he’s LeBron James’ son. And everybody knows what attention that brings

Smith went as far as to say that LeBron is “exposing” Bronny while claiming to be doing so with compassion.

LeBron James confronts Stephen A. Smith

After February flew by, Smith was courtside at Crypto.com Arena to watch his beloved Knicks face LeBron and the Lakers. Smith’s attendance set the scene for a confrontation in which LeBron appears to say, “Keep my son out of this s— bro,” before walking off.

One day later, Smith addressed the confrontation on “First Take,” saying, “That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me, that was a parent, that was a father. I can’t sit here and be angry or feel slighted by LeBron James in any way in that regard

He added, “Apparently he feels like I was slighting his son. When I said the things that I said, I wasn’t talking about Bronny James…I was talking about the position that he was put in by his dad.”

Later that Friday, Smith shared a YouTube video titled “LeBron and I had a confrontation: My side of the story,” a segment from the latest episode of his eponymous show. The 27-minute video dives deeper into what Smith disclosed during “First Take” earlier that morning.

Stephen A. Smith blasts LeBron James for bulls— exchange

Two days after James confronted Smith in L.A., he and the Lakers were in Boston to face the Celtics in primetime. James’ former teammate and current ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson was on the call, and ESPN cameras captured a pregame moment between the two.

Microphones faintly caught James, who said, “That’s the only thing… I don’t give a f— about” before his words were muffled by Jefferson standing in the way. Seconds later, James could be heard saying, “But when he talked about [inaudible] … as a father,” before more inaudible utterances.

The following week, Smith appeared on Gilbert Arenas’ Gil’s Arena podcast. With the Jefferson exchange in mind, Smith shifted in tone from his first explanation during “First Take” days prior.

He referred to James’ decision to confront him as “weak” and some bulls

Smith went on, saying, “What he was really talking about — which was confirmed with his conversation with Richard Jefferson — is that I was talking about him as a father. And so what happens is that had he said that to me, then I wouldn’t have been thrown off. I would’ve came right back at him: ‘Yes I was, I was talking about you. You did this s—.”

LeBron James explains his side of Stephen A. Smith confrontation to Pat McAfee

On March 26, 2025 — 20 days after the confrontation was captured — James finally addressed it publicly. He first addressed Smith’s content in the aftermath of the confrontation, calling it a “Taylor Swift tour run,” citing the number of stops and videos Smith made.

From there, James shared that he found it funny that Smith claims he did not plan on addressing the run-in until video was shared. “Are you kidding me?” James said “If it’s one person that couldn’t wait for the video to drop so you can address it, it’s your ass!”

James told McAfee that ” He completely missed the whole point. The whole point. Never would I ever not allow people to talk about the sport and criticize players about what they do.

“That is your job to criticize, or to be in a position where if a guy’s not performing [you can criticize them], you know? That’s all part of the game. But when you take it and you get personal with it, it’s my job to not only protect my damn household, but protect the players.”