Rich Paul didn’t let the drama linger. Five days ago, LeBron James’ agent addressed the clash between the Lakers superstar and Stephen A. Smith over his past comments about Bronny James. Paul kept it simple—whatever tension there was, it’s in the rearview mirror. And now SAS can move on as well. Only … he didn’t. Not without talking about Savannah James.
The ESPN analyst brought up the LeBron-Bronny situation once again on his podcast, but this time, he made it clear—it was the last time he’d speak on it. While speaking on his pod, Smith made it clear that, in his eyes, the 21x All-Star is the second-greatest player of all time.
Despite his personal feelings toward the Lakers star, Smith made a point to praise LeBron’s family, particularly his wife, Savannah.
“I’ve always been kind to his family. I think his wife is the first lady of the NBA, class personified,” Smith stated. “I think his mom is an absolutely wonderful woman. I don’t have to talk to Randy much. That’s a good brother. Rich Paul and me are pretty damn cool. Rich is good people, so I’m cool with Mav as well. And various other people.”
However, when it came to his dynamic with the 4x MVP himself, Smith was blunt. “But me and LeBron. We don’t roll like that. He ain’t have much use for me, and I damn sure don’t have much use for him,” he said.
Despite their differences, he continues to acknowledge the 4x champion’s place in basketball history and the respect he holds for his family. But when it comes to the controversy surrounding Bronny, Smith wasn’t about to let his name get dragged into something he believes he had no part in.
He insisted that he had deliberately avoided covering Bronny’s game to prevent adding to the pressure surrounding the young player.
“I have video documentation with me refusing to cover Bronny, never watching him out of respect for the family. Because if Stephen A. rolls into a gym or an arena and I see him, everyone’s gonna ask for my critique of him. And I have been on the record publicly stating that’s not fair to that kid because his father is one of the greatest ever, and they’re gonna judge him harshly, and I didn’t want to be a part of it,” the 57-year-old pointed out.
While LeBron confronted him courtside, accusing him of “s——- on [his] son,” Smith maintained that the claim was completely false.
“I can look into the camera and look at Bronny James and say, factually, that is not correct. I have not been s——- on that kid at all. That is factually incorrect,” Smith reiterated.
According to Smith, his comments weren’t unusual, and he wasn’t saying anything out of line about Bronny’s development. “It’s not foreign to me that a second-round pick will come into the NBA and is not ready yet, and they’ll just work hard, going to G League, come back and forth, and they’ll get better, just like Kenyon Martin told me his son did when I was on Gil’s Arena last week. So that’s not foreign to me.”
But when LeBron confronted him, Smith was caught off guard. He stood firm, saying the accusations had no basis.“I did not do that. So when he came up to me claiming, ‘You s——- on my son, you s——- on [my] son,’ I didn’t know what he was talking about because I’m the one person who didn’t,” Smith further elaborated.
With that, Stephen A. presented his side of the controversy, making it clear that his words had been misinterpreted, and his comments sparked plenty of debate. But while the drama played out in the media, LeBron and Savannah had their focus elsewhere—celebrating a special moment with their family.
Savannah James and LeBron make sure to attend Bryce’s big day
Bryce James just added another championship moment to the family legacy, leading Sierra Canyon to a thrilling victory over Lincoln of Stockton to claim the California state title on March 14. But while the win was a big deal, it wasn’t the only thing stealing the spotlight—his mom, Savannah, and little sister, Zhuri, made waves of their own. A viral clip on X showed the duo arriving in matching pink sweatsuits, side by side with LeBron, who rocked a blue hat and a gray Trailblazers tracksuit.
Even though he’s nursing a groin strain from March 9, LeBron wasn’t about to sit back quietly. He was hyped, celebrating every play like it was the NBA Finals, from the sidelines. As soon as the game ended, he and Savannah rushed to embrace Bryce—just proud parents, relishing and basking in the happy moment like any other mom and dad would. LeBron also made sure to post a shot of Bryce holding the CIF Regional trophy, while Savannah let the world know just how proud she was, captioning her post, “We goin to the ship!!!” with plenty of clapping emojis.
Winning runs deep in the James family, but this one feels extra special. Bronny, who once suited up for Sierra Canyon, never got to bring home a state title. LeBron, on the other hand, dominated his high school years, racking up three state championships and a national title at St. Vincent-St. Mary. Now, Bryce has his shot at making history in his own way.
With the Lakers off and LeBron already sidelined, you can bet he and Savannah will be courtside again for Bryce’s next big game. After all, winning isn’t just a habit for the James family—it’s tradition.
The post Stephen A. Smith Has Something to Say About Savannah James After Providing Evidence of His Innocence in Bronny James Controversy appeared first on EssentiallySports.
