Shannon Sharpe (Photo via Twitter)
Shannon Sharpe is not having the best time right now. His friend Stephen A. Smith has been embroiled in a back-and-forth with LeBron James, whom he admires.

Sharpe wants Stephen A. Smith to “let it go” when it comes to the feud.

During Wednesday’s installment of his “Night Cap” podcast, Sharpe encouraged his First Take co-host to move on after making the matter with James “personal.”

This comes weeks after the Lakers superstar confronted the “First Take” host over comments he made about his son, Bronny James, on ESPN in January.

“I wish Stephen A. would’ve just left it alone. Once he addressed it, once it happened — address it, ‘This is what happened, he came over to me, said what he said, I’m gonna address it,’ and be done with it,” Sharpe said.

“Because, as my grandma used to say, ‘Stirring up old-ish, it still smells.’ So, every time Stephen A. talks about it, it stirs it up again.

“Look, I see both sides of the equation, but Stephen A. just needs to let it go. He needs to let it go.”

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Smith has been making the rounds discussing his feud with LeBron James amid the fallout of the face-to-face confrontation.

LeBron James Breaks His Silence On Stephen A. Smith

Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
LeBron James, the most powerful basketball player on the planet, and Stephen A. Smith, the most powerful basketball commentator on the planet, have been feuding for seemingly the entire month of March.

Ahead of the Lakers’ matchup with the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, James had a very long conversation with Pat McAfee on his show.

“He’s like on a Taylor Swift tour run right now. 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 ass.”

“He completely missed the whole point, the whole point. Never would I ever not allow people to talk about the sport and criticize players about what they do on the court. That is your job. To criticize, or to, you know, be in a position where if a guy is not performing, that is all part of the game. But when you take it, and you get personal with it, it’s my job to not only protect my damn household but protect the players.”

James was not pleased with the manner in which Smith had been talking about Bronny.

LeBron James Roasts Stephen A. Smith With Bizarre ‘Ice Cream And Tighty Whities’ Comment Amid Heated Feud

Stephen A. Smith (Image Credit: Instagram/@stephenasmith) LeBron James (Photo by Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
Fans initially weren’t invested in the ongoing feud between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith, as it seemed to be a one-sided affair. Before Wednesday, only the ESPN analyst had continuously addressed the situation, while LeBron remained silent. However, during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, LeBron made it clear that he had been paying attention to Smith’s remarks all along.

During the interview, LeBron didn’t hold back as he shared his thoughts on Smith. At one point, he took an unexpected and humorous jab at the analyst, making a bizarre reference to Smith’s supposed reaction to being mentioned.

“He’s going to be smiling from ear to ear when he hears me talking about him again. He’s going to get home and grab some ice cream out of the fu*king freezer and sit in his chair in his tighty whities on the couch,” LeBron said.

The feud between the two originally began when LeBron confronted Smith directly on the court for his criticism of Bronny James. However, after LeBron’s recent back-to-back shots, Smith responded by clarifying his stance on his show. He insisted that he had not been attacking Bronny personally. Rather, he was expressing concern over how the young player had been pushed into the NBA despite not yet being fully prepared for the league.

LeBron James Hints At Possible 2003 NBA Draft Conspiracy

LeBron James (Photo by Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)

James sparked a debate over the legitimacy of the 2003 NBA Draft Lottery, suggesting that the league may have orchestrated his selection by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, the four-time NBA champion playfully hinted at a potential conspiracy behind the Cavaliers landing the No. 1 pick.

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“During the lottery ball drop, Cleveland got the No. 1 pick? I just think that was. Let’s keep LeBron home. Know what? Patrick Ewing to the Knicks. Derrick Rose to the Bulls. I understand the assignment, guys,” James said.

The Cavaliers entered the 2003 NBA Draft Lottery with a 22.50% chance of securing the top pick. When Cleveland ultimately won the lottery, they used the opportunity to select LeBron from Akron, Ohio. He went on to play the first seven years of his career with the Cavaliers and quickly became the face of the franchise.