"A part of me aches and hurts because of this" - Stephen A. Smith puts himself in LeBron James' shoes about viral courtside confrontation

Stephen A. Smith addressed his interaction with LeBron James after the Lakers' game against the New York Knicks on Thursday night on First Take. According to Smith, James talked to him about how he was talking about his son, rookie Bronny James, in his coverage of the NBA.

James made it a point to tell Smith to not be so harsh on his son, something that Smith addressed on the show.

"I was really, really talking about him because of the position that Bronny was in, but I really understood where he was coming from," Smith said about the situation.

"He was very, very upset. I could tell he could have called me. I'd have came to see him. I'd have had a conversation with him. He could have been just as upset face to face, man to man, as opposed to being court side of the game."

"If I was in his position, I can't definitively say I would not have done the same thing," Smith added. "I'm not blaming him one bit. I get it. I understand it, and there's a part of me that aches and hurts because of it."

Smith took issue with how James approached him, choosing to do so after a game instead of behind closed doors.

LeBron James is one of the faces of today's NBA and is well respected, both by his fellow players and members of the media, including Smith, who has said time and time again that James is a great person, on and off the court. However, the tense moments between the sports media personality and NBA legend after Thursday's game turned heads around the basketball world.

According to Smith, the two had a talk about how Smith and other members of sports media have treated Bronny James during their debates and conversations involving the Lakers and their father-son duo, the first of its kind in NBA history. LeBron James had allegedly taken issue with some of the things that Smith and others had said about his son and his readiness to enter the NBA despite an incomplete season at USC after he suffered a heart condition this summer.

Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James' relationship goes deeper than basketball

Stephen A. Smith went on to explain his place in the situation, saying that as a journalist, his responsibility is to cover the sports world in an unbiased and extremely detailed way to the best of his abilities. However, he also took things a step further, connecting with LeBron James as a father who wants nothing but success for his children.

Smith made sure to explain that he wants nothing but the best for Bronny James as he continues to develop as an NBA player, and that the rookie is in good hands with J.J. Redick and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff. However, Smith expressed a desire to deliver facts to his viewers and objective analysis on the league and its players, no matter what their relationships might be.

"But when you're raised as a journalist, professionally, you don't want enemies, but you ain't paid to make friends. You got to call it like you see it, and that's what I did" said Smith when defending how he has approached his job over the years.

At the end of the day, Smith understands that his responsibility as a journalist is one where he needs to have tough conversations, like the one Thursday night between him and LeBron James, but that he won't back down.