"What’s messed up is the other BS he’s been spewing" - Stephen A. Smith calls out LeBron James for criticizing NBA media

TV personality Stephen A. Smith on Saturday weighed in on LeBron James' recent remarks about the media being overly critical of NBA players — so much so that younger stars hesitate to embrace the title of "face of the league."

For years, James has been the undisputed face of the NBA, but with his career winding down, debates have intensified about who will take on the mantle next. On Thursday, he first expressed frustration over how players are portrayed, saying “people that you know that cover our game and talk about our game on a day-to-day basis s**t on everybody.”

The four-time champion revisited the topic in an interview with Scott Van Pelt on Friday, drawing the attention of Smith, who argued that criticism and player comparisons are a natural part of sports coverage and not an attack on the game itself.

“No disagreement here from @KingJames. He’s right about that. What’s messed up is the other BS he’s been spewing: that folks who cover the game are (bleeping) on the game. Critiquing the game, pointing out who’s doing and who’s not doing is NOT (bleeping) on the game,” Smith said.

“It’s covering the damn game. Greatness is not only measured, it’s compared to other greats. That’s the way it’s always been, some can take it. Some can’t!”

LeBron James has often been at the center of media criticism, frequently compared to Michael Jordan — a dynamic that has led him to sympathize with younger players caught in the ongoing "face of the NBA" discussion.

Speaking with Van Pelt, James made it clear he doesn’t want players' hard work to be dismissed just for the sake of media engagement.

“What matters to me when it comes to my generation and the younger generation that's in our league now is that, we play it for the love of the game,” he said.

“We're not out here cheating the game. We're putting the grind in, we're putting the time in. We've always gave up and gave props to the generation that came before us, always big them up, because we know without them, it would not have been us, and we're just trying to carry on tradition.”

LeBron James calls for balanced media coverage of the NBA

In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), LeBron James further criticized the way basketball is covered, arguing that the sport is at its peak but is too often overshadowed by negativity. He urged media outlets to showcase the excellence of players and rising teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and OKC Thunder instead of focusing solely on criticism.

“Our game has never been better. Incredible young stars from all over the world and some older ones … Let’s discuss how great OKC and The Cavs have been this season with 2 completely different styles and break down why and how they have. Of course if players don’t perform we need to discuss that too and break that down,” he said.

“Even that can be discussed in a way that’s not to bring finality to that players game but to leave room to see how that player responds and let’s watch the journey of that player.”

While the NBA continues to see a surge of young stars leading their teams, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Jayson Tatum (Celtics), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) and Ja Morant (Grizzlies), established veterans like LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and James Harden remain integral to their teams.