A-Smith: James painted me as someone who would attack my family. I can t say how offensive that is.

9:54am, 21 October 2025 Basketball

Recently, celebrity mouthpiece Stephen A. Smith angrily criticized James on the podcast "7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony."

A-Smith said: "In my opinion, he is the second greatest player in the history of basketball, a four-time championship, a four-time league MVP, someone who can definitely change the game, an ambassador of basketball, and a noble character. I have never encouraged others to criticize him, isolate him or do anything. What I tell you is based on his attitude towards me. The feelings he had. You know, he was trying to portray me as someone who would attack other people's families - and I've never been accused of that in 30 years in this industry.

"Now you're questioning my character, just because I didn't rank you as the best of all time or whatever, no, that's not honest." So, I mean, after all that happened, the last straw wasn't him coming to confront me on the sidelines, even though he could have done as simple as said you want to talk to me, I'm going to meet him, and everybody knows that about me, I'm not going to hide. If I'm wrong, I'll admit it, and if I do something wrong publicly, I'll apologize publicly. But I won't do something wrong and then apologize privately. I don't play that kind of trick.

"To take responsibility for what you do, that's who I am, that's my reputation for 30 fucking years, and then you turn around and go on Pat McAfee's show, 'I gotta protect my family,' that's what you're spreading. Yo, man, I'm telling you, you can't measure how angry I am about this. I have never been treated more disrespectfully in my life, especially him trying to portray me as someone who would attack someone else's family, knowing that I have never done that, I can't tell you how offensive I find it

"So, for me, that was the last straw, we don't like each other, stop pretending, and yes, we have to be professional, but we can be professional and honest. I don't like you, and you don't like me! "

A-Smith: James painted me as someone who would attack my family. I can t say how offensive that is.

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