LeBron James vs. Stephen A. Smith: Trash talk, tip-ins, and “WHOMP WHOMP” energy

The LeBron James vs. Stephen A. Smith saga just got louder — and funnier. What started as a heated courtside moment has turned into a full-blown media feud, with viral videos, sharp words and just enough petty energy to keep fans glued.

As REVOLT previously reported, LeBron appeared on "The Pat McAfee Show" this week and mocked Smith for going on a “Taylor Swift tour run,” endlessly explaining their courtside exchange from earlier this month. James said Smith “missed the whole point” of their clash and made it clear he wasn’t just defending himself.

Stephen A. Smith’s history of commenting on LeBron’s son, Bronny

LeBron revealed the confrontation stemmed from Smith’s repeated criticism of his son, Bronny James. Smith openly questioned Bronny’s place in the NBA, and that didn’t sit right with the four-time champion.

“Never would I ever not allow people to talk about the sport,” he said. “That is your job... But when you get personal with it, it’s my job to not only protect my damn household, but protect the players.”

LeBron’s dream to play pro-basketball with Bronny

The Lakers star's frustration ties into his long-held dream of sharing the court with his son. For him, this is bigger than hoops, so when pundits publicly doubt his son, it hits home.

Smith wasn’t about to stay quiet. On his Wednesday (March 26) podcast, he clapped back: “He’s full of it. He lied again.” He claimed he didn’t see LeBron coming during their in-game encounter and was in no position to respond. “What do y’all want me to do? Act like this is a reincarnation of Chris Rock and Will Smith?”

Then came a brand-new viral moment: “If that man put his hands on me, I would’ve immediately swung on him. Immediately. That, I’m not going to tolerate. But I knew he wasn’t going to do something like that.” Smith even admitted he’d lose the fight. “I would have gotten my a** kicked,” he humorously made clear before adding, “I wasn’t s**tting on, nor was I clapping back, at Bronny James.”

LeBron himself responded with the perfect blend of game and meme. After hitting a buzzer-beating tip-in to defeat the Indiana Pacers, he went straight to Instagram and posted a throwback video of Smith boxing, adding the caption, “WHOMP WHOMP WHOMP.”

Smith tried to clean things up with a post on X, stating, “Nice try folks… I said I would’ve swung on [LeBron] had he slapped me... I also said immediately after that I would’ve gotten my a** thoroughly kicked by the 6’8”, 250-pound Goliath, but folks just left that part out, huh?”

Whether this is the end or just halftime, one thing’s for sure — these two know how to put on a show, on and off the court.