LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith in the same line usually means trouble is around the corner. Just when it seemed the dust had settled, Stephen A. stirred things up again. As always, the topic was LeBron James, but this time, his tone felt different. He spoke with frustration, hinting at blame and accusations he believes were unfairly directed at him. It all traces back to that moment when the Akron Hammer appeared on The Pat McAfee Show.

“He’s like on a Taylor Swift tour run right now…It started off with ‘I didn’t want to address it. I wasn’t going to address it, but since the video came out, I feel the need to address it,’” Bron lashed out. Stephen A. had asked Bron, “as a father,” not to put Bronny through the torment of continuing in the league. “Stop this,” he begged. Now, appearing on the Pivot Podcast, the ESPN veteran felt the need to clear the air.

Stephen A. Smith revisited some old scars while firing back at LeBron James. “What you see is a different culture. That’s a conversation we never get into in professional sports, primarily the NBA, where you’ve got cats going at NBA players. Like, bring up LeBron; ever see LeBron go at the white boy? It’s called what it is. Ever seen him do that? You don’t see him come at me,” Smith said.

Stephen A. Smith continued, “The closest you ever came to seeing him do something like that was when he called out Brian Windhorst. What are you calling out Brian Windhorst for? The man has covered you since junior high school and has praised you repeatedly. And you use the Pat McAfee situation to go at him. You understand? That’s the only time you ever saw LeBron James really go at somebody white. I’m calling what it is.”

At the Pat McAfee Show, Windy also fell into the backlash loop from James. “I seen Brian Windhorst on one of these shows not too long ago. This guy says he’s like my f——- best friend. These guys are just weird…,” he had said. And well, this and all the other things he mentioned about Windy didn’t sit right with Stephen A. Smith. Meanwhile, Smith revealed he sees the bigger picture now. After delivering a precise 18-minute monologue following LeBron’s Pat McAfee appearance, he stood by every word. Instantly, he learned LeBron would stay silent about him. “I got receipts anytime, any place, anywhere.”

Stephen A. Smith reflected on his role in sports media, saying, “I know not only what I’ve done, but what I’ve tried to do for Black men in our industry, Black men in sports.” He explained that his critiques often come from a sense of responsibility, holding figures accountable because mistakes can have far-reaching consequences for others who don’t have the same leeway as LeBron. “There’s a whole bunch of other black people I’ve got to look out for, and they can’t make the same errors you just made. If they did, it would ruin their life.”

Smith also explained, “You’re ultra-talented, so you can get away with it.” He admits, “I can talk about how wrong you are, but I need to use you as an example because I got a bigger vision.” That vision is clear: to make sure cats avoid mistakes that end careers. Talent shields you, yet others fail to see it because ‘they want to hate on you.'”

Stephen A. Smith’s points do add sense from a neutral perspective because, in his own words, he speaks from experience: “I’ve been in this business for over 30 years.” He explained that if someone talked to him, “I have an inherent obligation professionally to contextualize your words properly and present them as you asked.” Yet with LeBron James, “you ain’t get no apology.”

Smith recalled supporting his son, Bronny James, through the G League, McDonald All-American years, and draft. Still, after one night in Philly, he said, “He’s not ready yet.” LeBron was wrong and will forever be wrong, and no one will make him back down. According to SAS, anybody in this business, especially athletes with podcasts who don’t see it, should consider themselves blind or unethical. He insists that anyone with professional ethics knows he did nothing wrong to that young man.

Painting him as someone who would attack a child is low. He said it because he was asked, feels strongly, and will not change. If there’s another confrontation, he promises to be better ready and prepared. Now, the drama deepens as ex-ESPN employee Bomani Jones adds another layer to this episode of sorrow. Surely, the 57-year-old went off about the scars that deeply affected him, as his words might give away. Bomani Jones? Well, his words are a direct accusation of LeBron James and his long-lasting relationship with some of the big names in the NBA media.

Bomani Jones goes all out with manipulation claims

Now, you will often find yourself looking at tweets and news reports from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Currently, he’s the LA Lakers insider, who transitioned from being a Cleveland Cavaliers insider. Well, he moves when LeBron James moves. “Dave McMenamin came out with a report, and I like Dave, but you need to understand that when Dave covered the Cleveland Cavaliers,” Bomani Jones said. “LeBron had three guys in the media he referred to as his three wives. I think it was McMenamin, Chris Haynes, and Joe Vardon.” 

“Where are my three wives?” James shouted across the locker room after a game 10 years ago. The nickname refers to The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd, Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon, and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the reporters closest to him. It oddly reflected both intimacy and journalistic polygamy, as James may favor one writer one day and another the next. Vardon called it “at least semi-endearment.” Previously, McMenamin and Chris Haynes were dubbed “salt and pepper.”

That is no shade to those guys, but LeBron said it loud in front of people ten years ago. McMenamin moved his life from Cleveland to Los Angeles eight years ago. Thus, Jones pointed out that McMenamin actually moved his life from Los Angeles to Cleveland and thankfully did not have to continue doing so.

Meanwhile, Jones continued. He said, “I’m just saying Dave McMenamin is a reporter who has a standing relationship with LeBron. McMenamin comes out and says, ‘Hey man, you’ve got to wonder if LeBron’s not going to be out with this sciatica and watching the Lakers, seeing how they perform, and then making decisions about what he’s going to do.'”

It doesn’t end there as Jones added, “You don’t run nothing no more, man. He’s going to decide if he wants to go somewhere else. You’re going to wind up getting traded to Milwaukee. Why are you doing this?” Thus, LeBron James supposedly manipulated media relationships, famously calling McMenamin, Chris Haynes, and Joe Vardon his “three wives” while closely controlling their access. Jones explained that now, with LeBron sidelined by sciatica, McMenamin questions if he will watch the Lakers, make decisions about his future, and possibly force a trade to Milwaukee.

Drama never takes a day off in the NBA, and LeBron James proves it again. Stephen A. Smith claps back while Bomani Jones exposes media manipulation, twisting the story even further. The “three wives” antics, McMenamin juggling LeBron’s moves, and sciatica updates all collide. Loyalty, talent, and strategy clash in this high-voltage arena, making every move unpredictable, bold, and unforgettable in the world of basketball power games.