Stephen A. Smith Says He’s Done Feuding With LeBron James

Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James' feud© Instagram/ kingjames and instagram/ Stephenasmith

Stephen A. Smith has argued about LeBron James on air for years, and now he says he's finished. Speaking on his SiriusXM show, the ESPN host said the beef is over and that he'd like to see James win a title in Philadelphia.

“I Was Pissed Off at Once Upon a Time”

Smith isn't known for holding back, and James has been a regular subject of his sharpest takes. So the tone here was a surprise. He wasn't sparring. He sounded tired of the whole thing.

“We all know that I've had my issues with LeBron James and vice versa,” he said. “I do not hate the man. I was pissed off at once upon a time, but I'm thoroughly over that.”

His age came up almost right away. Smith is 59, and he said as much, adding that life is short and he doesn't have time for the grudge anymore. For a commentator whose reputation rests on volume, it was a noticeably quieter moment. In the clip, at least, he leaves the old arguments alone and talks about where he is now.

It's also a very ordinary thing to say. Plenty of people reach a point where an old fight costs more energy than it's worth, and Smith simply said so out loud, on his own show, with a microphone in front of him.

Looking Ahead to the Last Two Years

Smith didn't stop at calling a truce. He said he's looking forward to covering James “as his career comes to an end over the next two years,” which is his own estimate of how much time is left. James has been in the league since 2003, so that timeline puts a clear end date on one of the longest careers the NBA has seen.

Then came the line most likely to get repeated. “I wish him nothing but the best,” Smith said, and he hopes James wins a championship for Philadelphia.

That's a striking thing to hear from someone who has questioned James's decisions, his legacy and his choice of teams on air for years. Smith has plenty of airtime ahead of him, and James has plenty of games left to play, so there will be chances to see whether the new tone lasts.

For now, the message is simple. The man who was often James's loudest critic says he'll be watching these last seasons hoping it ends well for him.