Another day, another hot take from Stephen A. Smith. Amid a week where Smith may have straight up broken the law, he took some time to drop a different basketball hot take. A lot has been made about LeBron's absence from Dwyane Wade's recent Hall of Fame enshrinement. Of course, the most likely reason for this is that James is continuing to care for his son Bronny. Bronny is recovering from a cardiac arrest last month. However, myriad theories surrounding disrespect and beef have also emerged.
It appears that Smith is one of those believers, as he tackled the issue head-on during a recent episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show. “LeBron James, one could easily argue, wouldn't even know what it's like to be a champion had it not been for Dwyane Wade,” Smith said. “Somebody needs to say it, so I'm going to say it.” Smith's argument is based on the notion that LeBron didn't win his first championship until he linked with Wade in Miami. Of course, LeBron has won two other titles. He earned one with the Cavs in 2016 and another with the Lakers in 2020. However, Smith later clarified that LeBron remains his #2 all-time NBA player behind MJ.
Does LeBron Owe It All To Wade?
Smith's argument is muddled at best. He's not saying Wade is a better player than James, although that's definitely what it sounds like upon first hearing it. Instead, Smith is trying to make a very labored point about LeBron finally getting the support he needed to win a championship. Honestly, the most surprising thing about this take is how pedestrian it is. Like yeah, Wade helped LeBron get over the championship hump. Was that not the point of "The Decision"? Wasn't all of this by design to get LeBron a championship-caliber supporting cast?
Again, what's weird is that Smith is trying to apply this to LeBron's non-attendance at the Hall of Fame ceremony. It feels like this would be a bigger deal if his family hadn't suffered a major medical emergency less than a month prior. It's completely understandable that LeBron might want to take things slow. But unless either party comes out to say otherwise, his non-attendance shouldn't get taken as some weird snub against Wade? Maybe someone needs to check in on Stephen A., his takes are starting to get weird.
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