"Feels fake to me" - NBA analyst shares honest feelings about LeBron James-Stephen A. Smith's 'WWE situation'

A feud between the always-vocal Stephen A. Smith and four-time NBA MVP LeBron James was likely not in many people's bingo cards. However, this beef seems to have taken over the headlines lately after James confronted the ESPN host courtside.

The confrontation occurred during the New York Knicks vs. LA Lakers game on March 6. What ignited it was Smith's critique of Bronny James. However, reporter Michelle Beadle isn't buying it, thinking it's too close to a WWE-type of feud.

Beadle shared her reasoning on why the feud seemed unbelievable on Thursday's "Run it Back."

"First of all, this feels like a WWE situation at this point," Beadle said. "It's Pat McAfee who is now one of the faces of WWE, he's hosting this. LeBron James goes on there for over an hour, on the very network where the dude he confronted in public also is the highest paid guy. All of it feels fake to me."

Pat McAfee, former NFL punter and WWE color commentator, also hosts a show on ESPN known eponymously as "The Pat McAfee Show."

On Wednesday, James appeared on the show as a special guest. Naturally, his feud with Smith became the center of discussion. As expected, Smith would also give his response, ensuring that the war of words between the two figures continues.

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LeBron James likened Stephen A. Smith to a country and pop music artist

LeBron James did not hold back in talking about Stephen A. Smith on "The Pat McAfee Show." Without using crude insults or expletives, the LA Lakers star went after the ESPN host creatively that it went viral.

James compared Smith to singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, saying he's going on a tour similar to hers.

"He's like on a Taylor Swift tour run right now," James said (Timestamp: 24:33). "It started off with 'I didn't want to address it. I wasn't going to address it but since the video came out I feel the need to address it.' Are you kidding me? If there's one person that couldn't wait for the video to drop so you can address it it's your a**."

Surprisingly, the sports analyst said on the "Stephen A. Smith Show" on Wednesday that he would have swung at James. This is in reference to the confrontation they had on March 6.

James would also respond to this by posting a clip of Smith boxing with a rather unflattering caption.