For NBA followers, issues simply received actual on the hardwood-and off it too. Dwyane Wade, the Miami Heat legend and three-time champ, is throwing his weight behind his outdated pal LeBron James in a heated feud with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. The drama kicked off courtside at Crypto.com Enviornment on March 6, throughout the Lakers’ recreation in opposition to the Knicks, and Wade’s chiming in with a giant “identical!” to LeBron’s fiery confrontation.
It began when LeBron, the Lakers’ celebrity and four-time MVP, received in Smith’s face over feedback about his son, Bronny James. Video footage reveals King James inches from Smith’s nostril, letting him have it-apparently over Smith’s critiques of Bronny’s NBA journey.
LeBron James video reveals what he mentioned to Stephen A. Smith throughout heated argument
Quick ahead to March 11, when TMZ Sports activities caught up with Wade in New York Metropolis. The 43-year-old did not hesitate to again his former teammate. “I might have walked up on him the identical means,” Wade instructed Smith straight after the incident, per TMZ, making it clear he’d have mirrored LeBron’s transfer if his family was within the crosshairs.
Wade, who received two titles alongside LeBron in Miami, is aware of a factor or two about loyalty. “I like each guys,” he mentioned, displaying props to Smith too, however his stance was firm-family’s off-limits. Smith, for his half, owned as much as the stress on First Take the subsequent day, saying, “That wasn’t a basketball participant confronting me, that was a father.” He admitted he received LeBron’s frustration however wished it’d gone down privately. Nonetheless, Wade’s all-in with LeBron’s public strategy, even suggesting the NBA’s all-time main scorer deserves a statue someplace outstanding.
Wade helps LeBron’s Smith showdown over Bronny
The backstory? Smith’s been vocal about Bronny, the Lakers’ rookie drafted in 2024, questioning his spot within the league. LeBron, who’s made it a mission to play along with his son, wasn’t having it. Wade, a dad of 5 himself, will get the protecting vibe.
“Why is the narrative at all times so unfavorable in relation to this younger man?” he as soon as requested on his podcast, The Why With Dwyane Wade, calling out the media’s Bronny obsession. For Wade, LeBron’s response was a no-brainer-he’d have carried out the identical, no query.
This feud’s lighting up X, with followers selecting sides and memes flying. Wade’s assist provides gasoline to the hearth, spotlighting the tight bond he and LeBron share from their Warmth days.