Stephen A. Smith fires back at LeBron James’ criticism of NBA media, calling his stance “B.S.”

Credit: Fadeaway World

LeBron James has never shied away from speaking his mind, and his latest comments about the NBA media have ignited a heated response from Stephen A. Smith.

The outspoken ESPN analyst pushed back against LeBron’s stance, calling his remarks “B.S.” and doubling down on the idea that greatness in sports will always be measured by comparison.

“No disagreement here from King James. He’s right about that. What’s messed up is the other B.S. he’s been spewing. Critiquing the game, pointing out who’s doing and who’s not doing, is NOT (bleeping) on the game.”

“It’s covering the damn game. Greatness is not only measured, it’s compared to other greats. That’s the way it’s always been. Some can take it, some can’t!”

LeBron’s comments came after Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards recently admitted that he doesn’t want to be the face of the NBA.

James backed Edwards, stating that today’s NBA media is overly critical of players, constantly tearing them down instead of celebrating their greatness.

His stance sparked a strong reaction from Smith, who dismissed LeBron’s argument and insisted that criticism and comparisons are an essential part of sports history.

Smith’s rant went on for nearly five minutes on First Take, where he passionately defended the role of NBA media. He called out James for painting the media as villains, arguing that sports history is built on comparisons between great players.

He even referenced Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, stating that every all-time great has been compared to those who came before them, and LeBron should not be an exception.

Smith also took aim at LeBron’s suggestion that negativity from analysts is ruining the sport.

He also defended the Inside the NBA crew, including Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, who have made a career of being brutally honest about today’s players.

Smith’s response, while passionate, misses a major point that LeBron and many other players have brought up—criticism is fine, but analysts need to do their homework.

Too often, some of the most well-known NBA media personalities make broad, uninformed takes that show they aren’t watching the games regularly.

Instead of breaking down real game trends, they rely on generic narratives and repeat the same tired storylines, which leads to unfair criticism based on false premises.

LeBron’s issue is not with fair criticism. It’s with analysts making sweeping judgments without actually watching the games.

There are countless examples of TV personalities making inaccurate statements, misrepresenting stats, or criticizing players based on outdated narratives.

That kind of commentary does nothing to help the game or elevate the discourse.

Ultimately, LeBron and Smith both have valid points. NBA players need to accept that greatness will always be compared, but analysts also have a responsibility to be accurate and informed in their critiques.

Criticism that comes from a place of knowledge is valuable. But when it’s based on lazy analysis and outdated narratives, it does more harm than good.