The NBA GOAT conversation is a neverending debate, but Stephen A. Smith has never faltered from his view that Michael Jordan belongs at the top. In a segment on the Stephen A. Smith Show, the ESPN reporter explained his view and how LeBron James had to develop the heart of a champion.
“You see Kobe came into the game with a heart, and LeBron developed one,” Smith said. “First several years it wasn’t like that because he was scared to get to the free throw line. That’s where the fall-away jumpers came from, that’s where the hesitancy to go to the hole came from. But there’s this thing about the heart you gotta pay attention to. When lack a speck of it at any point, there would be impediments to prevent you from getting it.”
LeBron (40) was just a teenager when he was drafted first overall in 2003. After growing up poor in Akron, Ohio, LeBron had to work his way to the top but he never had the same competitive spirit that Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan had. According to Stephen A., he still doesn’t have the heart of a champion.
“If we’re being honest LeBron still doesn’t have the heart, he’s never had one. Still to this day 22 years in he still defers to his teammates in the last seconds of a game, he’s just never been that guy. Can’t be great when it is time to be great, that’s why he will never be on Kobe or Jordan’s level.”
It’s no secret that Stephen A. Smith has an ongoing feud with LeBron. Weeks after he called out the King for helping his son into the league, LeBron confronted him mid-game in a viral moment that sparked much debate online.
Whether it’s personal or entirely professional, Smith is now making one of his strongest cases against LeBron and it has nothing to do with his play on the court. For Smith, the problem with James is all about his heart and the lack of a killer instinct.
Back in their day, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant were shining examples of competitiveness among athletes. They had an assassin’s mentality that had opponents genuinely fearing them. Michael (6x champion) and Kobe (5x champion) never shied away from the moment and played with a certain passion and hatred for the enemy that everyone could feel.
As a 4x MVP, 4x champion, and 21x All-Star, LeBron certainly has the accolades of an NBA GOAT candidate and he’s also the NBA’s all-time leading scorer at 50,986 points. Compared to other legends, however, LeBron does fall short in some areas besides rings (five for Kobe and six for Jordan).
Early on in his career, James was not a great free-throw shooter (73.3%) and he was known to take drastic measures to avoid getting to the line late in games. He was often criticized for passing up clutch shots and deferring to his teammates during critical possessions.
As good as LeBron is physically (averaging 27.0 points for his career), there’s something different about his approach to the game that doesn’t sit right with everyone. He plays with love, not hate, and somehow it has resulted in the most decorated career in NBA history.
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