This week, the ongoing rift between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith turned ugly. After the Lakers star accused the ESPN analyst of breaking an unwritten rule by getting “personal,” Smith fired back by calling James “a liar” who twists the truth to fit his narrative.
The drama has provided entertaining fodder to media outlets, but some believe it is doing a disservice to the integrity of the sport. Watching the feud unfold from afar, TNT’s Charles Barkley believes James and Smith are “losers” for failing to keep their emotions in check. The Hall of Famer was more critical of James, calling the 40-year-old “a bully” for attacking Smith and his ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst.
“He’s too big to be that type of bully, to bully Stephen A. and to bully Brian Windhorst,” Barkley told “The Dan Patrick Show” on Friday. “Brian Windhorst is a sweet person man; he’s just trying to do his thing. And I’ve always liked LeBron but him being a bully, it turned me off, Dan. But I will say this — Stephen A., the way he reacted was so lame and weak…. But I blame LeBron for starting the bullying. He’s a control freak — he knows everything he’s doing. He knew what he was doingwhen he walked up to Stephen A… There’s only losers in this scenario.”
During his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” James accused Windhorst of pretending to be his “best friend” just for clout on television. Windhorst attended the same high school as James, covering the latter’s journey into the NBA and following his pro career ever since. He also authored multiple books on James, including “LeBron, Inc.: The Making of a Billion-Dollar Athlete.”
Some analysts have urged the NBA to intervene and end the James-Smith feud, suggesting it could drive away true basketball fans. Commissioner Adam Silver denounced the feud at a news conference on Thursday.
