Stephen A makes odd statement about possible Steph-LeBron pairing originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Stephen A. Smith has some strong opinions about LeBron James hypothetically joining Steph Curry and the Warriors.
The ESPN analyst explained why he wouldn’t want to see the Olympic teammates together in San Francisco.
“As a fan, visually speaking, LeBron with Steph Curry would be special,” Smith said on Tuesday’s “First Take.” “I have no doubt about that … I don’t want to see it because LeBron James does not deserve it, absolutely not. LeBron James does not deserve to be with Steph Curry, here’s why: stay yo a– right there in LA. You won a championship in the bubble, I understand the next year you lost the first round.
“We get so caught up in the greatness of LeBron James the individual player, and he’s on the Mount Rushmore all-time, I get it. No shade there. But we get so caught up in the greatness as a player that we don’t pay enough attention to the power of his influence and the moves that he compels to make that serves to derail a franchise like he did in Los Angeles. Nah, you don’t get to leave that and go to Golden State. Stay yo ass right there in Southern California with Anthony Davis and figure it out.”
While Golden State reached out to the Los Angeles Lakers about a trade last season, James reportedly had no interest. Given how well Curry and James meshed while winning the gold medal for Team USA in Paris, many around the league continue to speculate about the two sharing the court in the NBA.
With the current NBA salary cap and luxury tax structure, a trade would require Golden State to part with much of its young talent and future draft picks. Considering James rejected previous trade overtures, it’s unlikely he would want to depart from Los Angeles.
The Lakers currently are mired in a slump, with a 3-7 record over the past 10 games. Los Angeles won the 2020 NBA Finals in the Orlando bubble but has made only one Western Conference Final since. It remains to be seen if the growing frustration with continued mediocrity would be enough to make James want to his fourth NBA franchise.
For Smith, James leaving the Lakers in a state of disarray would be in poor taste, though Warriors fans would disagree.
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