LeBron James roasts Stephen A Smith for going on and on about viral feud over son Bronny: 'Relax, bro'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: LeBron James finally broke his silence on his confrontation with ESPN’s Stephen A Smith, using the network’s platform to set the record straight.

Speaking with Pat McAfee in a tell-all interview that aired Wednesday, March 26, LeBron James didn’t hold back as he addressed Smith’s ongoing commentary about his son Bronny James, People reported.

LeBron James fires back at Stephen A Smith in explosive ESPN interview

LeBron James said that Stephen A Smith, who said that his son Bronny, 20, is not ready to play in the NBA on ESPN's 'First Take', "completely missed the whole point" of their confrontation after a Los Angeles Lakers game on March 6.

Hitting back at Stephen A Smith, LeBron James said, “He completely missed the whole point.”

“Never would I ever not allow people who talk about the sport to criticize players about what they do on the court. That is your job to criticize or to you know be in a position where okay if a guy's not performing you know all that is part of the game that's all part of the game but when you take it and get personal with it, it’s my job not only to protect my damn household but protect the players,” the basketball legend continued. 

James then took a sharp jab at Smith’s reaction to the situation. “I think a lot of the media, including him, and I know he’s going to be happy as hell when he hears me talking about him. He’s going to get home and grab some ice cream out of the f**king freezer and sit in his chair in his tighty-whities on the couch. Relax, bro.”

LeBron James upset with Stephen A Smith over his comments about his son Bronny

Stephen A Smith initially sparked the dispute with comments he made on ESPN’s 'First Take' on January 29, where he claimed Bronny James was only in the NBA because of his father.

“I’m pleading with LeBron as a father stop this. Stop this,” Smith said at the time. “We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad.”

James reportedly confronted Smith after the Lakers’ 113-109 victory over the Knicks on March 6.

According to Smith, the conversation was direct and heated. “I turn around and he’s right here in my face and says, ‘Yo, you gotta stop talking s–t about my son [Bronny]. You gotta stop f–king with my son. That’s my son, that’s my son!’” Smith recounted on Gil’s Arena podcast.

James, however, was amused by how often Smith kept bringing up the encounter. “He’s like on a Taylor Swift tour run right now,” James quipped. “It started off with ‘I didn’t want to address it, but since the video came out, I feel the need to address.’ You couldn’t wait till the video comes out so you can address it,” the Lakers legend said.

LeBron sustained a groin injury during the Lakers’ matchup with the Celtics and made his return to the court on Saturday following a two-week hiatus. 

While the media battle rages on, Bronny James has been making statements on the court.

The rookie guard, drafted in the second round by the Lakers, has split time between the NBA and G League but recently hit his stride.

He dropped a career-high 17 points in a Lakers loss to the Bucks on March 20 and exploded for 39 points in a G League game just days later.