Stephen A. Smith knows LeBron James tried to sabotage his career

LeBron James might be after his fifth ring on the court, but off it, Stephen A. Smith believes he was after his career.

Smith recently down for an in depth interview with Graham Bensinger which will be available this weekend. But in an already released clip from the interview, Smith detailed his relationship with James. And after alleging nameless critics were trying to cancel him earlier this month, Smith now says it’s LeBron James who once tried to sabotage his bustling media career.

During the interview, Bensinger noted Smith’s nephew Josh claimed the First Take host’s feud with James is “bullsh*t” and just played up for television. Smith, however, insisted that’s not true.

“We don’t like each other,” Smith said of his relationship with James. “And the world needs to know that, but I don’t talk about it anymore.”

And the world needing to know about their feud seems to have taken precedence over Smith’s desire not to talk about it. Because he does talk about it. Bensinger noted Smith even previously implied James tried to hurt his career.

“I can’t talk about it, but that’s exactly what I said. And I’ve never talked about it. And I won’t, other than to say I know that to be true,” Smith insisted. “And that is – that’s unfortunate. And outside of that, it was validated when he went on Pat McAfee’s show, because you went on the show that comes on after me to talk about me and to disrespect me. Tighty whities on, and he did this and that, and all of this other stuff, and like, ‘Oh, really? So that’s what we doing.’ So, you know, that was validation. But I’ve known about several things in the past, but I’m beyond all of that. Like I said, I’ve moved past it.”

Stephen A. Smith’s issues with LeBron James are well-documented. Their apparent dislike for each other reached new heights when LeBron confronted Smith courtside in the middle of Lakers game last year, supposedly over the ESPN host’s comments about Bronny James. LeBron then escalated the feud when he mocked Smith during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. And Smith proceeded to fan the flames by going scorched earth on LeBron in response to what he said with McAfee.

The entirety of this public spat has been ugly, childish and even cringeworthy to witness. But it’s worth noting, Smith isn’t the first media member to allege LeBron attempted to ruin their career. Michelle Beadle previously claimed LeBron James attempted to get her fired from ESPN, with an apparent eye on Rachel Nichols as her replacement.