Stephen A. Smith: LeBron is 'Butt Hurt,' Brings Up James Not Going To Kobe Memorial

The battle of the egos continued as Stephen A. Smith responded earlier Thursday to LeBron James' verbal take down on The Pat McAFee Show a day earlier.

To recap, LeBron called Stephen A. a ""Motherf***er" and likened his ego and desire to be everywhere to Taylor Swift and her tour.

On Thursday's ESPN's First Take, Stephen A. spent seventeen minutes rebutting James to begin the show.

Smith spent the majority of his rant calling LeBron a liar when he says that he doesn't mind the media criticizing him for his on-court basketball play. Smith says that's exactly what he has been doing and that is precisely why LeBron can't stand him, because he believes that Michael Jordan is No. 1 and LeBron is No. 2.  

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LEBRON IS MAD AT STEPHEN A. BRINGING UP HIS SON BRONNY

"The day he came up to me was the day my new contract was announced. So he knows like everybody else, it's going to be a little while before I go away. I was here before he got here in 2003. And in all likelihood, I'm going to be here when he's gone. You gotta deal with that, bro. Plain and simple. It ain't a crime for Michael Jordan to be a GOAT. But clearly, it's something that's a crime with him."

Smith continued, even calling LeBron "petty" and saying that "he's so butthurt over the things that I've said." "My God, I have done everything but put diapers and a bib on [LeBron]," except recognizing him as "the greatest of all time," before Stephen A., said that "well, you're not in my book, that belongs to Michael Jordan."

Perhaps the biggest part of Smith's diatribe was when he said that LeBron should be happy that he doesn't bring up personal issues and tries to always keep it professional and about the Lakers star's play on the court. 

In the passively aggressive clip below, Stephen A. says that LeBron is lucky that he hasn't been called out for not attending Kobe Bryant's memorial service, or skipping out on Dwayne Wade's Hall of Fame induction, noting that D Wade helped LeBron get to where he is today as a multiple-time NBA Champion.

Good for Stephen A., not to bring it up! Could you imagine if he did? Oh wait…

BOTH LEBRON AND STEPHEN A., HAVE MASSIVE EGOS

Later on First Take, Stephen A., was joined by ESPN NBA analyst Brian Windhorst, who LeBron also criticized during his McAfee appearance and referred to him as "stalking him" and telling people they were friends when in fact they were not. 

One thing's for certain, this isn't going to end anytime soon.

The irony of it all, as I've written many times, is that LeBron's comments show that he clearly doesn't get it. He wants everyone to act the way that he wants, and refuses to ever take responsibility for anything that he's done. The NBA is in near-shambles right now from a growth standpoint as both diehard and casual fans are leaving. Where Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant grew the game, LeBron James, although talented as hell, hasn't put the responsibility on his shoulders the same way the other two GOATs have.

The bottom line is that the King remains within the castle walls, surrounded by his "Yes men," while the peasant NBA viewers and fans outside the walls are leaving in a mass exodus.

But hey, at least we are semi-entertained by this manufactured drama between LeBron and Stephen A.

WHO DO YOU THINK IS MAKING A BETTER ARGUMENT? STEPHEN A., SMITH OR LEBRON JAMES? TWEET ME: @TheGunzShow