Stephen A. Smith is one of the more opinionated people in the sports world. Overall, this is exactly why he is so popular. He is someone who knows how to get people riled up with his opinions, and he has been on his game for years. Although he may be controversial, ESPN loves having him on board. He brings ratings to the station, and at this point, he carries the entire network on his back. It is a hard job, although someone has to do it.
Throughout this season, Stephen A. and his various co-hosts have had to talk a whole lot about LeBron James. LeBron and the Lakers are 13th in the Western Conference, however, they are always the center of NBA discourse. Overall, this has proven to be exhausting for most fans. However, it appears as though Smith loves talking about the purple and gold. They are a team filled with storylines, and LeBron is definitely a contributor to all of that.
Stephen A. Berates LeBron
Over the weekend, the NBA had its infamous All-Star weekend. This included the dunk contest in which Mac McClung was the victor. For many, his win was amazing. However, for others, it was a sign of how stars no longer want to do the dunk contest. Consequently, Smith decided to use this opportunity to go off on the King. In the video clip above, Stephen A. said that he feels like LeBron ruined the dunk contest. This is because superstars used to always participate in the event. Although, James never did, and because of his lead-by-example attitude, other stars followed suit. Simply put, Smith is blaming the free will of others on an innocuous decision by LeBron. While some may agree with Smith, it feels like a bit of a stretch.
Superstar players are more than welcome to participate, regardless of LeBron. Moreover, using LeBron as a blueprint for not joining the dunk contest is incredibly weak. If you want to find a reason for the poor turnout, look at the judges who come in with massive biases. Let us know if you agree with Smith, down in the comments section below.
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