Stephen A. Smith has been forced to apologize after incorrectly accusing LeBron James of not attending Kobe Bryant’s memorial service.

Amid their ongoing feud, which began when LeBron confronted the ESPN host for criticizing his son Bronny earlier this month, Smith embarked on another rant about the basketball legend during Thursday’s edition of First Take.

‘If LeBron James wants to see me continue to cover the sport, or he wants to have a problem with me continuously covering the sport, I suggest that he’d be happy with the things that I haven’t brought up,’ he fumed. 

‘I never brought up, really – and never really discussed – why you were not at Kobe Bryant’s memorial service. 

‘I never really brought up and discussed why you did not attend Dwyane Wade’s Hall of Fame induction when that man was directly responsible for you capturing a championship for the first time in your career. I brought up none of that.’

While he was not pictured at the Los Angeles memorial service for Kobe, which was held a month after the NBA icon and his daughter Gianna were tragically killed in a 2020 helicopter crash, reports at the time suggested LeBron was in attendance.

Stephen A. Smith has been forced to apologize over an incorrect claim about LeBron James

Amid their feud, Smith accused James of not attending Kobe Bryant’s 2020 memorial service

The ESPN personality made a humiliating U-turn after discovering LeBron was in attendance

Read More Stephen A. Smith sends shock message to LeBron James after Bronny shines for Lakers

The LA Times wrote on February 24, 2020: ‘Among the Lakers-related faces in the audience: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Phil Jackson, Jerry West, Rick Fox and LeBron James. Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors was there, as was retired Boston Celtics star Bill Russell. Other NBA players who were on hand included James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, Kyle Kuzma and Demar DeRozan.’

WNBA star Diana Taurasi also made a joke about James during her speech on the night before appearing to look at him in the crowd. 

After being informed that LeBron was actually at the memorial service, Smith took to social media to apologize in a humiliating U-turn. 

‘My apologies and clarification. I misspoke in Hour#1 of @FirstTake today when I intimated that LeBron did not attend Kobe Bryant’s memorial. I corrected myself in Hour#2 when I acknowledged he was indeed in attendance,’ he wrote on X.

‘My mistake. Should not have even broached that subject. It was not my main point. I retract NOTHING else that I said. Have a nice day!’

Fans were left seething with the sports media personality for bringing Kobe’s death into his spat with LeBron, with a number of users expressing their anger online. 

One posted: ‘Hey @stephenasmith keep Kobe’s name out of your disrespectful mouth. You shameless piece of s***. Using a funeral and lying about it to prove a point is lower than a snakes belly. You lost, and now you just look like a total a**hole too. F*** you!

LeBron was reportedly at the service for Kobe in LA despite not being pictured on the night

‘There was no reason to even bring up the topic and for the fact that you couldn’t do your research and not give the correct information is embarrᴀssing. Smh,’ said another.

A third fumed: ‘Bringing Kobe’s death into this is despicable and you should be banned from Lakers games for life’.

‘Mentioning Kobe at all was way too far, this situation between you and LeBron is not that serious or deep and it never should’ve been allowed to get to this point,’ a fourth argued. ‘Either keep it professional, make light of it or just move on – you both have more interesting things to talk about’.

While one simply put: ‘You crossed the line dude – @espn fire him immediately’.