Dwyane Wade is weighing in on the battle between LeBron James and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
“I love both guys,” Wade, 43, told TMZ in a video published on Wednesday, March 12. “I had a conversation with Stephen A. about it and I told him if I was LeBron, I would have walked up on him the same way.”
Wade’s comment comes shortly after Smith, 57, brought up James’ “weak” confrontation during an episode of “Gil’s Take,” which aired on Tuesday, March 11.
“I thought it was some bulls—,” Smith said. “But in the moment, I knew that I was listening to a father.”
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Earlier this month, video footage went viral of James, 40, and Smith, 57, having what looked like a heated exchange after the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks on March 6. The following day, Smith confirmed that they exchanged words over LeBron’s son Bronny James, who joined his dad on the Lakers this season.
“That was LeBron James coming up to me, unexpectedly I might add, to confront me about making sure that I mind what I say about his son,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take on March 7. “Can’t repeat the words because they ain’t suited for FCC airwaves. That’s what he was doing.”
The sports reporter explained that the confrontation becoming so viral made acknowledging what happened “unavoidable.”
“I thought long and hard about this over the last few hours, because I had no intention of talking about this at all,” Smith continued. “The reason why is because it was a one-on-one — I wouldn’t say it was a conversation — but it was a one-on-one confrontation.”
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Smith has publicly criticized Bronny, 20, after he went pro in 2024. In January, Smith was “pleading” with LeBron to keep Bronny off the court.
When addressing their sideline chat, Smith confirmed that LeBron “clearly took exception to some of the things he heard me say.” While he somewhat understood LeBron’s move, Smith wished they spoke on the phone instead.
“That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me,” Smith said on First Take. “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. By all accounts, he’s obviously a wonderful family man and father. He cares very, very deeply about his son.”
