Stephen A. Smith picks on LeBron James’ alleged absence at Kobe Bryant’s memorial service despite contrasting reports 

LeBron James has been at odds with people in the sports media industry throughout this season. But his conflict with ESPN analyst and "First Take" host Stephen A. Smith has become the main focus as the two continue to throw jabs at one another.

On Friday, Smith took things one step further, accusing James of not being at Kobe Bryant's memorial service when the Lakers legend passed away.

LeBron James has been one of the faces of the NBA, since he entered the league back in 2003, and has become one of the most respected players in the game's history. However, Stephen A. Smith, who has been covering the NBA for decades, hasn't been afraid to call out the future Hall-of-Famer on his shortcomings.

On Thursday's episode of "First Take," Smith took another shot at LeBron James when the conversation focused on the Lakers legend's comments on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday.

Smith said that he has treated LeBron fairly throughout his career, not bringing to light everything that could harm James' reputation amongst NBA fans.

"...he should be happy with the things that I haven't brought up," said Smith about LeBron's comments about him. "I never brought up, and never really discussed, why you were not at Kobe Bryant's memorial service. I never really brought up or discussed why you did not attend Dwyane Wade's Hall of Fame induction..."

According to popculture.com writer Daniel Levine, multiple news outlets reported that LeBron James did, in fact, attend the memorial service of Kobe Bryant, one of his mentors early in his career.

According to reports, James requested that there be no videos or photos of him taken during the service, choosing instead to focus on mourning the NBA legend and providing support to his family.

This latest chapter in the conflict between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith shows that they are far from solving their problems with one another. James isn't happy with how Smith and other members of the media are covering the NBA, especially when it comes to his son and Lakers teammate, Bronny James.

LeBron James confronted Stephen A. Smith about his comments on Bronny James

After the Lakers defeated the New York Knicks in overtime on March 6, LeBron James took it upon himself to confront the ESPN personality on the Crypto.com Arena court. He shared a few heated moments with the reporter before heading off into the Lakers' locker room.

According to Smith, James approached him and told him to stop delivering harsh critiques about his son, rookie Bronny James.

Smith, along with other sports reporters and debate show hosts, have been rough on Bronny James since he was drafted. They have argued that the only reason why the Lakers picked him at the end of the 2024 draft was because of his father's influence over the front office.

LeBron James has fought to shield his son from the negative media attention that he has been getting, telling reporters to back off.

While LeBron James might be within his rights as a father to try to protect his son, Smith made the argument that he owes it to his audience to deliver the most relevant news to them. Smith has been less critical of Bronny James since March 6, especially as the rookie has been playing better, but tensions between him and LeBron are still high.