Stephen A. Smith has caused a stir after using a segment on First Take to pitch a deadline trade between his Knicks and the Lakers to acquire LeBron James. Smith's pitch is more based on the vibes of "LeBron at MSG" rather than how LeBron would actually make the Knicks a better team. You can watch Smith's full, and very loud, pitch below.
However, fans are absolutely not in agreement with the ESPN host. "Who’s gonna tell him that move by itself would almost singlehandedly destroy everything the Knicks have built 😅 Last thing I want on the Knicks is a 39 year-old player GM who is clearly holding his own team back in noticeable ways," one fan noted. "WE DONT WANT LEBRON. NOT TRADING ASSETS FOR A 39 YEAR OLD PLAYER WHO WILL DIP IN THE SUMMER TO PLAY WITH BRONNY. He’s not as good as Randle in the year 2024. Where are the Lakes this season and where are the Knicks? I’m soooo good on this. He had his chance in 2010," concurred another.
Is LeBron James Leaving LA?
Smith's pitch comes as LeBron's frustration with the Lakers becomes more and more apparent. Earlier this week, LeBron James posted a cryptic message to social media amid a period of vocal frustration with the Lakers. LeBron posted a tweet with a single hourglass emoji shortly after the Lakers lost on the road to Atlanta. Could this mean that "time is running out" for LeBron's tenure in LA? After all, LeBron's contract with the team, which runs through the end of next season, was signed on the notion of the Lakers being a championship contender.
Furthermore, as mentioned, LeBron has been open about his frustrations with the team over the past few weeks. “We could on any given night beat any team in the NBA. And then on any given night we could get our ass kicked," LeBron said after the Lakers fell to the Hawks and dropped to 24-25 on the season. The Lakers have plummeted in the standings after winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament in mid-December. They have won just 11 games since that December 9 win over Indiana.
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