Inside The Heat

Miami Heat's Kevin Love Throws Shade At Stephen A. Smith Over Viral LeBron Video

Shandel Richardson

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith on the ESPN First Take set at the CFP Fan Central at the George World Congress Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith on the ESPN First Take set at the CFP Fan Central at the George World Congress Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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ESPN's Stephen A. Smith found himself locked in a rift with NBA superstar LeBron James this week.

James berated Smith before the Los Angeles Lakers faced the New York Knicks. The conversation was captured on social media. James was apparently upset at the amount of criticism Smith directed toward his son, Bronny.

Smith addressed the issue twice, once on X and again on his YouTube show.

"I didn’t want to have to address this," posted on X. "I wouldn’t have, either, had it not gone viral. Now I have no choice. first at 10am EST. Then….The Stephen A. Smith Show on YouTube! Some things just have to be said."

Smith's comments upset many, including Miami Heat forward Kevin Love. He suggested Smith would have never addressed it if not for the cameras catching the viral moment.

Here's what Love posted in response: "You have no choice? lol. Because it went viral? lol. You didn’t want to have to? lol. You wouldn’t have? lol"

It was natural for Love to come to James' defense. They were teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning a championship in 2016. They also helped the Cavs make four straight trips to the NBA Finals from 2015-18.

Love is know as one of the most clever athletes on social media. He's made funny posts this season about James, Tyler Herro, Pat Riley and many others.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here