Stephen A. Smith apologizes for misinformation on LeBron James missing Kobe Bryant’s memorial

Stephen A. Smith had alleged that superstar LeBron James missed Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant's memorial.

Stephen A. Smith apologizes for misinformation on LeBron James missing Kobe Bryant’s memorial

Stephen A. Smith acknowledged LeBron James did not miss Kobe Bryant's memorial

The discourse between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith went south the moment he went on The Pat McAfee Show and trolled the ESPN analyst. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar believed Smith missed the point and was instead trying to deflect the actual reason he confronted him during that game.

The 57-year-old journalist took to his podcast to suggest that he would throw punches at James if it got to it. After LeBron James tapped in the game-winner against the Indiana Pacers, the first thing he did was to go onto his Instagram and troll Smith’s punching rhetoric.

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This seemed to have ticked off the analyst as on the following day, he took the discourse into a different direction. He questioned why the superstar was not present at the memorial of Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant. But as soon as that part of First Take aired, many informed him that he was wrong.

But Smith just acknowledged it and continued to berate LeBron James, asking why he did not want to be captured on camera. Now fans slammed him on social media for using Kobe Bryant’s death to win a personal battle. When the heat started rising, Smith posted this on X.

My apologies and clarification. I misspoke in Hour#1 of First Take today when I intimated that LeBron did not attend Kobe Bryant’s memorial. I corrected myself in Hour#2 when I acknowledged he was indeed in attendance. My mistake. Should not have even broached that subject.

Stephen A. Smith wrote

After this, Stephen A. Smith wrote that bringing up Kobe Bryant’s death was not the main point of his heated tirade. Instead, it was something else. But he was not retracting anything else he said in that segment.

Why did LeBron James not attend Dwyane Wade’s Hall of Fame ceremony?

Another rhetoric Stephen A. Smith used in that first hour of First Take was when he asked why LeBron James was not present at Dwyane Wade‘s Hall of Fame ceremony. That is the part he did not address in the second half of that ESPN show. Hollywood star O’Shea Jackson Jr had the answer.

Not to mention Dwyane Wade ceremony was two weeks after Bronny got out the hospital from f***ing heart surgery. Smfh.

O’Shea Jackson Jr wrote

The Hollywood star shared a video of WNBA legend Diana Taurasi at Kobe Bryant’s memorial. While speaking on the dais, she referred and looked straight at LeBron James. That was another proof that the Lakers superstar was indeed present, but the cameras did not pick him up.

Jackson Jr. brought up that LeBron James was with Bronny James when Dwyane Wade’s Hall of Fame ceremony was in motion. James Jr. was two weeks removed from a cardiac arrest, and it was logical for a father to be beside his ailing son.

Adam Silver cannot intervene in this discourse

Almost every platform talking about sports have discussed this LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith discourse. When it was the turn of the Dan Le Batard Show, Amin El Hassan believes Adam Silver can intervene and stop Smith. But host Dan Le Batard disagreed.

It’s a different age. Stephen A’s present power is such that he can buck the people involved. If Adam Silver calls him, I would say he has a responsibility to report to people that Adam Silver has called him and tried to mute the conflict.

Dan Le Batard said

He was saying this out of his experience working for ESPN. Le Batard revealed that it was Smith who then told him to avoid going against ESPN. Considering the power his former colleague has over the network, Le Batard believes it will be a fruitless attempt. Adam Silver will only make it worse by asking Smith to stop.