As the Philadelphia 76ers have started off the season 9-2 and atop the Eastern Conference, LeBron James has apparently closed the chapter on one of his long-standing beefs.
For a moment in 2025, the saga between James and ESPN First Take host Stephen A. Smith was one of the biggest stories in professional sports, with James confronting Smith after disparaging comments about his son, Bronny James, and his play against, ironically, the Philadelphia 76ers.
James confronted Smith during the New York Knicks' late-season matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. That led to Smith igniting a feud that the ESPN and SiriusXM host seemed unwilling to let go of. The beef led to media comments on both sides, with Smith appearing on venues such as Fox News to discuss his issues with James, and James appearing on The Pat McAfee Show to express his issues with Smith while also sharing videos of Smith boxing to disparage him.
But now it appears that Smith is ready to move on from the saga and wish James well in his pursuit of a fifth championship.
“We all know that I've had my issues with LeBron James and vice versa. I do not hate the man. You know, I was pissed off at once upon a time, but I'm thoroughly over that. I'm 59 years old. Life is short. I ain't got time for all of that, okay? I wish him nothing but the best, and I'm looking forward to covering him as his career comes to an end over the next two years. Hopefully he'll win a championship for Philadelphia.”