Stephen A. Smith will not be making friends with NBA players anymore, but he gets points for triggering a rare display of friendship between rivals. As the Los Angeles Lakers faced off against the New Orleans Pelicans, a lot was said about the lineups. Zion Williamson and Herb Jones have overcome injuries to keep the Pelicans going. Meanwhile, the Lakers made adjustments to make their starpower work. In the high-stakes environment, LeBron James had a brief moment as a veteran mentor.

Zion Williamson is the most recent target on Stephen A. Smith’s radar. Some of it could tear the Pelicans forward down. But SAS’ enemy ensured that was not going to happen.

After the Lakers beat the Pelicans 110-101, cameras captured LeBron James’ interaction with Williamson. They shared a hug, and Bron told him something which the Internet’s sharpest lip-readers say was, “Don’t mind the bullsh*t.”

Clearly, it struck a chord because Zion had a very emphatic response to the 41-year-old’s advice. He nodded a few times and thanked him with another dab and hug.

After Smith’s recent commentary, Williamson’s team and fans have rallied together to show him support. At such a time, King James’ support is more than just another jab at the ESPN analyst he’s beefing with. It’s invaluable for the young athlete’s confidence.

No love lost between Stephen A. Smith and Zion Williamson

The noise in question has been Stephen A. Smith’s latest escalation in a long-standing feud with Zion Williamson. Just 24 hours prior, Smith ignited a firestorm on First Take by comparing Williamson’s eating habits to a “drug addiction,” claiming the forward was a “food addict” who had been “busted hiding food under his bed.”

It was not one of the most hostile media-vs-player conflicts in recent NBA history. Especially when there’s footage of a literal confrontation between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith. It’s not even the first time Smith has been tactless about Williamson’s physique. It’s the timing of it.

It came right after Williamson’s recent ESPN interview, where he poured his heart out about injuries hampering his career and the mental toll of criticism on his weight. Williamson admitted that the constant mockery during his injury rehab for a broken leg led to a “really low” point in his mental health.

Smith clearly had no sympathy. In return, the Pelicans had no sympathy for SAS.

The organization clapped back on their official X page with a compilation of Smith’s worst bloopers and added, “Stick to solitaire, Stephen.” Smith obviously took it personally, clapping back, “Pulling out stuff from a decade, two decades, three decades ago? No problem. See y’all tomorrow on [First Take]. Remember one thing: YOU ASKED FOR THIS!”

His threats landed flat when the Pelicans’ social media team amped it up with more GIFs. And even the fanbase fired back with memes.

Maybe all the love from the Pelicans community lit something in the forward because he finished with 24 points, going 10-of-18 from the field. That was a team-high and the second-highest score of the game after Luka Doncic’s 27.

James, who has faced his own public battles with Smith over the years, seemed to prioritize the young star’s mental health over the box score. For Williamson, who has played a career-high number of games this season, the support of a legend like James may prove more valuable than any statistic as he navigates the noise of a relentless 24-hour news cycle.