Stephen A. Smith Apologizes for Implying That LeBron James Was Absent at Kobe Bryant’s Memorial
First Take presenter Stephen A. Smith began Thursday’s show with a 15-minute tirade against current opponent LeBron James, adding another dimension to the two players’ continuing animosity, rather than spending his time talking about the various other events occurring throughout the NBA. Smith asserted during the outburst that James is fortunate the flaming host did […] The post Stephen A. Smith Apologizes for Implying That LeBron James Was Absent at Kobe Bryant’s Memorial appeared first on BlackSportsOnline.
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First Take presenter Stephen A. Smith began Thursday’s show with a 15-minute tirade against current opponent LeBron James, adding another dimension to the two players’ continuing animosity, rather than spending his time talking about the various other events occurring throughout the NBA.
Smith asserted during the outburst that James is fortunate the flaming host did not inquire as to “why you were not at Kobe Bryant’s memorial service,”
In response to the host’s question about why the celebrity was “out of the country on business” in the weeks prior, Smith conceded that James’s absence was probably caused by his son Bronny’s cardiac arrest in July of that year.
Stephen A. Smith apologizes to LeBron James regarding the Kobe comment
Fans found it extremely classless that Smith would try to assert his moral superiority for not bringing up such a delicate topic in public while doing it for personal gain, especially because Bryant was involved.
My apologies and clarification. I misspoke in Hour#1 of @FirstTake today when I intimated that LeBron did not attend Kobe Bryant’s memorial. I corrected myself in Hour#2 when I acknowledged he was indeed in attendance. My mistake. Should not have even broached that subject. It…
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 27, 2025
Smith has since issued an apology. Smith posted on the internet: “My apologies and clarification. I misspoke in Hour#1 of First Take today when I intimated that LeBron did not attend Kobe Bryant’s memorial,”
“I corrected myself in Hour#2 when I acknowledged he was indeed in attendance. My mistake. Should not have even broached that subject. It was not my main point. I retract NOTHING else that I said. Have a nice day!”
LeBron could respond with anything tonight, but hopefully, this will be the end of the whole mess. Such a fierce rivalry could not have been manufactured by the NBA.
The post Stephen A. Smith Apologizes for Implying That LeBron James Was Absent at Kobe Bryant’s Memorial appeared first on BlackSportsOnline.
