Stephen A. Smith on LeBron James Beef: 'We're Never Gonna Like Each Other'

Stephen A. Smith isn't mincing words when it comes to his relationship with LeBron James.

In a candid new interview with Rolling Stone, the outspoken ESPN personality revealed the long-rumored friction between him and the NBA superstar, confirming that there's real tension between the two.

"I don't like him, and he don't like me," Smith stated. "He's one of the greatest players who's ever lived. I'm going to show him that respect, and I'm going to cover him objectively. When he does great, I'm gonna applaud. When he doesn't do great, I'm not gonna applaud."

The friction between the two intensified recently when LeBron confronted Smith, accusing him of criticizing his son, Bronny James. But according to Smith, that was just a distraction from the underlying issue.

"He hid behind his son, tried to make something out of nothing, as if I was dogging his son, which I was not," Smith said. "The real issue was we don't like each other. And he used that as an excuse to confront me. I got it."

And the situation isn't likely to change: "We're never gonna like each other. It's not gonna stop me from doing my job. He'll be treated just like any other player I cover. Nobody is going to get me to compromise my professional integrity. I don't have to like you to be fair to you."

Smith also pointed to the years of reporting he's done on LeBron's influence on teams with trades, coaching firings, and more as a source of tension.Smith claimed various reports he's published angered LeBron, and he made it clear that he doesn't care how the King feels about that.