Stephen A. Smith reveals the moment that made LeBron James lose his cool.

Credit: Tori Lynn Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK

In a viral moment at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James exchanged some words in a heated encounter.

The King was angry over some words toward his son, Bronny, and many people thought he was justified. Stephen A., however, says that it was weak.

“I thought it was weak,” said Stephen A. “I thought it was some bullsh*t — but, in the moment, I knew that I was listening to a father.”

Looking back on the incident, Stephen A. broke down the whole engagement and explained the moments directly before and after it went down.

“We get there in the first quarter, I’m sitting courtside, I stand up and then I got my head turned. Then I turned around and in the third quarter, he walks out of the timeout and I turn around and he’s right there.

Apparently LeBron had walked out of the timeout and I turn around and he’s right here in my face.

He said ‘Yo you gotta stop talking sh*t about my son. You gotta stop f*cking with my son. That’s my son. I was like ‘What?’ and he was like ‘f*ck that!’

And I said ‘Yo let’s talk later.’ And he said ‘No f*ck that, f*ck that. You gotta stop f*cking with my son.’ I said ‘alright though.’ And he walked off.”

Stephen A. was taken by complete surprise at LeBron’s confrontation, so much so that he didn’t even know what to say when James came up to call him out.

It wasn’t until later that Smith realized the moment that started it all and set LeBron off in the middle of the game.

“I remember during timeout in the first quarter seeing Bronny and Bronny looked over at me and he had this sad look on his face. And I imagine that Pops saw that sh*t and he couldn’t hold it and he rolled up on me.”

LeBron James likely didn’t plan to approach Stephen A. that night but he couldn’t help himself when he caught a glimpse of his son looking at the NBA analyst with sadness in his eyes.

James himself later confirmed that he knew Stephen A. wasn’t talking badly about his son. Smith was talking directly to the King and how everyone has to capitulate to his reality.

“I wasn’t talking about your son,” said Smith. “I’m talking about your a**…. all of us as reporters, as a league… had to sit back and be quiet and capitulate to your s***, you did that!”

LeBron has taken a lot of stuff over the years but he lost his patience when Smith tried to speak to him as a father. In his mind, Stephen A. crossed a line and he had to set him straight for trying to challenge his relationship and parenting over his son.

Bronny, 20, was the 55th overall pick in 2024. After a modest season at USC, where he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, he declared for the NBA draft with plans to play alongside his dad on the Lakers.

Since day one, critics have questioned his place on the team and claimed that he’s not fit to play at the NBA level. Despite the doubts and a lack of results, Bronny got a place on the Lakers and signed a fully guaranteed deal over the summer worth 4 years and $7.8 million.

So far, Bronny has not lived up to his family name and the pressure couldn’t be higher for him to prove himself as a legitimate NBA player. Growing up in the shadow of greatness, Bronny knows more than most how to handle the spotlight, but this is his biggest challenge yet.

Fortunately, he’s got LeBron defending his legacy and battling his haters with intense energy. He’s also got a Lakers team dedicated to his success and committed to giving him all the resources he needs to reach his peak potential.