Dwyane Wade is making it clear—he stands with LeBron James in his ongoing dispute with ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith over criticism of Bronny James.
Speaking to TMZ, Wade revealed that he completely understands LeBron’s reaction toward Smith, stating:
“I love both guys. I had a conversation with Stephen A. about it, and I told him… I would have walked up on him the same way. This is all love and sports.”
LeBron Confronts Stephen A. Over Bronny Criticism
The tension escalated during the New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers game on Thursday, March 6, when LeBron James left the bench to confront Stephen A. Smith. The exchange was triggered by Smith’s repeated criticisms of Bronny’s basketball skills, which LeBron felt crossed the line.
On First Take the next day (March 7), Smith acknowledged the confrontation, saying:
“He clearly took exception to some of the things that he heard me say and he confronted me about it.”
“That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me,” Smith added. “That was a parent, that was a father. I can’t sit here and be angry or feel slighted by LeBron James in any way in that regard.”
Stephen A. Fires Back: “I Thought It Was Weak”
Despite initially showing understanding, Smith took a harsher stance when he later appeared on Gil’s Arena podcast.
“I thought it was weak,” Smith said. “I thought it was some bullshit—but in the moment, I knew that I was listening to a father.”
Smith also revealed that LeBron told him directly:
“You gotta stop talking sh*t about my son.”
LeBron Doubles Down: “I’m Pleading as a Father”
James further addressed the situation with ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson before the Lakers’ game against the Boston Celtics on March 8, stating:
“Once he talks about, **‘I’m pleading with you as a father,’ I can’t.’”
Smith later admitted he would have reacted differently if LeBron had framed the conversation that way from the beginning.
“I thought that he misrepresented the argument,” Smith said.
“Had he said that to me, I wouldn’t have been thrown off. I would’ve came right back at him—‘Yes, I was talking about you, you did this sh*t.’”
Where Things Stand Now
With Dwyane Wade now publicly siding with LeBron, the debate over Bronny’s career and media scrutiny continues to heat up. Will Stephen A. Smith back down, or will he continue to challenge James?
