Stephen A. Smith: I Have Never Said a Single 'Negative Thing' About Bronny James - NBA News

Sept. 7 - Complex Sports reported that prominent commentator Stephen A. Smith emphasized during an appearance on Cari Champion and Jemele Hill's Flagrant and Funny podcast that he has never said anything disparaging about LeBron James' son Bronny James.

Complex Sports said that last year, Smith and LeBron James had a confrontation on the sideline, and the moment quickly went viral online. Many people speculated that it was because Smith criticized Bronny, but LeBron later said it was because the outspoken sports media personality's criticism had become too personal. However, Smith insisted that the confrontation was indeed related to his criticism of Bronny. The First Take co-host said that despite the tense exchange between the two in front of cameras, he had never criticized Bronny.

"In January, his son Bronny James was still playing for the Los Angeles Lakers... the night before, he was still in the G League," Smith explained at around the 32-minute mark of the Flagrant and Funny podcast. "The next night, he was defending Maxey. I understand basketball, and I know this absolutely cannot happen. It was putting him directly into the spotlight, and that was not right!"

Smith also added that it was not good for LeBron to confront him in such a public setting because he "asked us not to do our jobs."

"So I pointed out that when he was in high school," Smith said. "I never went to Sierra Canyon to watch his son's games because I knew that would not be fair to the James family. If I walked into a gym to watch a high school player's game, everyone would ask me what I thought of that kid. I thought that would not be fair to Bronny. He went to USC. Obviously, he had a heart condition. I prayed for his recovery. He was drafted. Everyone knows LeBron James played a role in that because his original resume was not enough for him to be selected."

Despite this, Smith said he was happy to see Bronny and his father play together in the NBA: "I stood up and applauded... I have never said one bad thing about that young man." He claimed, "I said nothing. What I said was, what are you doing? You are his father, and we have to pay attention to this. You cannot allow him to be in that position in front of us. People will criticize him heavily. This is not good!"

Smith still believes that if LeBron disagreed with his comments about Bronny, he could have asked LeBron's agent Rich Paul to arrange a phone conversation. "If LeBron said, I want to talk to you face to face, be honest with each other, I need to have a real conversation with you, then I have an obligation to contact him as soon as possible," Smith said. "But that never happened. I did not know about this until I was sitting courtside." Smith also added that he believed LeBron's dissatisfaction with him was not limited only to Bronny, but specifically noted that LeBron has never confirmed that.

"Before that night, before that game, I had never mentioned his son, and then two months later he came after me," Smith said. "The next day I went on television and said, I know that was just a father speaking. Let it go... until he went on The Pat McAfee Show, which was just to embarrass me."

Source: Complex