Why Do We Still Have Conflicting Narratives on Whether LeBron James Attended Kobe Bryant's Memorial Service?

Stephen A. Smith apologized for saying LeBron was absent. What actually happened though?

I’m interested in the LeBron and Kobe dynamic. I feel defensive even saying so after I watch Stephen A. Smith walk back his comment about LeBron’s presence (or lack thereof?) at Kobe’s memorial. People discuss the LeBron/Kobe topic behind the NBA scenes. They speak about the cold relationship between NBA gods, but there’s trepidation over making text out of that subtext. There are sensitivities here, especially when the subject overlaps with Kobe’s untimely death. Why look into it?

That’s what one of the sources I interviewed about Kobe’s memorial said to me, anyway. He, like everyone else I spoke with, hadn’t seen LeBron James at the event in question, but if the official word is that James was there, why bring up this old painful topic? I guess that’s a valid perspective. I’m just trying to understand the mystery of whatever happened and how it was reported. We cover taboo media stories here, and this is one of the strangest, in my opinion.

Back on February 24th, 2020, it was widely reported that LeBron James wasn’t seen at Kobe Bryant's televised and live streamed memorial service. When asked about whereabouts, Rich Paul, LeBron’s agent, stated that James had spent the day “in his own space.” Later on, it was reported, via unnamed Lakers sources, that James was actually there, but we didn’t see him because perhaps he chose not to be filmed. LeBron did not confirm he was there when directly asked on camera, though.

This is…odd? Whatever happened likely isn’t a scandal, but something is missing from the official narrative. The story, long dormant, was raised again when brought to the fore by a bombastic Stephen A. Smith. Five years later, what really happened here? And why were reports of what happened in conflict?