The dynamic between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith is a mixture of professional respect and personal friction. A recent television moment sparked both conversations at the same time.

On April 20, 2026, Smith was on his regular on-air commentary about James. During the segment, Smith made his stance clear. 

He said, “Is there an athlete that has been this good for this long in history?… MJ is still my goat because Michael Jordan at his best, I take any day against LeBron at his best. But that doesn’t mean that LeBron isn’t great, and he isn’t on the Mt. Rushmore of basketball."

"When you think about sports overall, it’s a very simple question. At age 41, in his 23rd season, has there ever been anybody this good for this long? The answer to that is no,” Smith added.

Smith still picks Michael Jordan as his greatest of all time based on peak dominance, but also noted that the longevity of James is very rare to watch. 

James turned 41 during the 2025-26 season, marking his 23rd year in the league. He is the only active player from the 2003 NBA draft. He has logged over 59,502 career regular-season minutes. That is the most in history! 

James recently became the oldest player to record a 30-point, 15-assist game. He also became the oldest to post a triple-double, bagging 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists against Dallas in February 2026. 

Another fun fact? He recorded more dunks in his 23rd season than he did during his rookie year. This rare moment of high praise sits on top of a very complicated relationship.

A Decade-Long Tension Between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith

Going back to the 2018 Kyrie Irving trade saga, where Smith implied the camp of James helped leak the request. The tension became more visible in October 2025.

On Carmelo Anthony’s podcast, Smith admitted he did not like him at all. He claimed that James attempted to impact his career at ESPN.

In early 2025, Smith criticized Bronny James. In January of that year, Smith framed his commentary as a concern about the young player facing too much pressure.

He stated on air that everyone knew Bronny was only on the main roster because of his father.

On March 6, 2025, during a game between the Lakers and Knicks, James approached Smith courtside during a timeout.

He told the commentator to stop talking about his son. The exchange was tense and entirely personal. 

Smith went on his YouTube show to say a father confronted him, not a basketball player. He later called the confrontation weak on a podcast with Gilbert Arenas. 

James then appeared on The Pat McAfee Show, mocking the media run of Smith as a Taylor Swift tour. He told the commentator to grab some ice cream and relax on the couch.

By February 2026, Smith admitted on a podcast that they do not like each other.

A personal feud still exists between the two men. But professional respect remains! Do you think that the tension between these two must end soon? 

Read more at Air Jordan Chronicles!

Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Utsav Gupta