*Love him or hate him, Stephen A. Smith has no problem being real about whatever he speaks about. As a result, it’s open season for any NBA player, including the great LeBron James.
While he maintains a good relationship with many NBA playmakers, Smith admits his relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers standout can’t be put in that category, according to Fadeawayworld. net.
Yes, LeBron stands tall in other areas, but it’s the game of basketball that Smith focuses on when assessing his biggest issue with the King.
“LeBron, I don’t have the greatest relationship with LeBron James,” the 56-year-old ESPN sports analyst confessed recently on “The OGs Show.” “I don’t give a damn about not having the greatest relationship with LeBron James, but I know he’s great.
“I know he’s a great father, a great family man, a great basketball ambassador, a great role model,” he continued. “I want him to get an ownership stake in the new Las Vegas franchise if the NBA decides to do an expansion franchise. I want all of that.
Although he is unapologetically critical of James, Smith said he doesn’t take any delight in handing out a thumbs down to James.
“You think I enjoy having to say, ‘Yo bro, you were scared to shoot in the fourth quarter of that Finals series against Dallas.’ I don’t enjoy it,” he stated. “We talk basketball, which is what used to piss me off about LeBron.
“The second you praise him, he’ll soak it all in,” Smith added. “You give him major props for what he accomplished, he’ll soak it all in. The second you criticize him, (it’s), ‘Well, you know, I’m just trying to be there for the kids and just trying to do what’s right for the community.’ And it pissed me off because that was a slick way of taking attention away from the basketball element and making it something other than basketball, which is what we were talking about.”
Smith’s evaluation of James marks the latest in a series of criticisms he’s aimed at the sports icon over the years.
Referencing the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks during Smith’s segment and earlier this year, Fadeawayworld noted how James complained about a lack of talent Miami Heat prevented the team from scoring the 2011 NBA title.
Needless to say, Smith let the pro ball all-star and his view on the 2011 Heat roster have it, in no uncertain terms.
“LeBron James, that is some straight bulls**t. You’ve gotta be kidding me. I know that you didn’t just say that with the cameras rolling. That’s bullsh*t. Somebody’s gotta say it,” the sports analyst expressed.
“You didn’t lose to the Mavericks because of your roster. You lost because of you. Because you aren’t who you are. The LeBron James who ultimately learned how to become a champion. The LeBron James whose resume elevated and changed forevermore, who showed us he can be a champion and reminded us again by winning back-to-back championships. Who ultimately overcame a 3-1 deficit and beat the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. You were not that dude in 2011.”
“That was not about your roster, that was about you. Period,” he went on. “There’s no way around that. The roster didn’t stop you from averaging 25 throughout the season, getting to the Finals, and being up 2-1 in the Finals even when Dirk Nowitzki was scoring. What stopped you was that you were nowhere to be found in the fourth quarter. That’s not something we’ve ever had to say about Michael Jordan and that’s why you’re No. 2 on the Mount Rushmore.”
Stay tuned for future remarks (good, bad, and ugly) on LeBron James from Stephen A.
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