Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith has fired back at LeBron James following their recent exchange, which James jokingly referred to as part of Smith’s “Taylor Swift tour” during an interview with Pat McAfee. The lighthearted jab prompted Smith to offer a more detailed account of their courtside confrontation, revealing on his show that if things had escalated, he would have been ready to throw a punch.
Recounting the moment on The Stephen A. Smith Show, Smith explained how the face-off unfolded during a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden.
“When he approached me sitting courtside at that game against the New York Knicks, when he rolled up on me, I didn’t know he was gonna roll up on me. I had no idea. But when he said what he had to say, I was in no position to give any kind of retort without making a scene. It was during the third quarter, fresh out of a timeout. He was walking to the court, the cameras were rolling on national television. Had I done something, what do y’all want me to do? You want this to be a reincarnation of Chris Rock and Will Smith?”
Smith made it clear that while he didn’t expect to win a physical altercation with the four-time NBA champion, he wouldn’t have backed down either.
“And let me state for the record, while we bring that up, let me assure you—it wouldn’t have gone down like that. I would have gotten my ass kicked, because if that man put his hands on me, I would’ve immediately swung on him. Immediately. That I’m not going to tolerate.”
The tension between Smith and James stems from Smith’s past criticisms of the Lakers star's son, Bronny. As the back-and-forth continues, fans are left wondering whether this war of words will escalate further or if it’s all just entertainment between the two stars.
Source: YouTube
