Smith, Jones, Westbrook Increase Scrutiny of LeBron

Stephen A. Smith reignited his feud with LeBron James, saying he “does not like” James, accusing him of being different publicly and privately, and alleging James tried to undermine his career after Smith criticized James’s son Bronny. Smith revisited a March courtside confrontation, argued camera angles misrepresented the encounter, and alleged a racial double standard in which James confronts Black journalists more often than white reporters, citing Brian Windhorst as an exception. Former ESPN analyst Bomani Jones alleged close ties between James, Klutch Sports, and some media figures including beat writer Dave McMenamin, criticizing recent reporting about James’s future. Resurfaced accounts from Russell Westbrook describing what he saw as “fake” or performative behavior have added to the scrutiny. Together, these claims have intensified attention on James’s relationships with the media, though they have not produced conclusive proof of misconduct.