Shannon Sharpe made a comment on Tuesday during an ESPN First Take segment that upset Stephen A. Smith. The Michael Jordan–LeBron James conversation was being discussed, and Sharpe made an eye-opening remark about the debate, via ClutchPoints.
“I wish LeBron James could have taken four years off during his career,” Sharpe said. “Five years.”
This immediately upset Smith, who fired back with an honest rant.
“You should be ashamed of yourself! That is nonsense,” Smith said.
Jeff Saturday, who was also joining the segment, added, “scandalous.”
Stephen A. Smith then continued and explained why the comment caught his attention.
“This is the problem with Shannon Sharpe right here,” Smith continued. “This dude in the weight room… He work out all the time. He’s the epitome of physicality, but he gonna ignore how physical the game was when MJ was playing compared to what it is now for LeBron. You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Smith is always willing to share his brutally honest thoughts. He is also not afraid to call anyone out, as he certainly had words for Sharpe on Tuesday.
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It is worth remembering that Smith is a fan of LeBron James. However, he made the point that the game was much more physical when Michael Jordan played.
In the end, the greatest of all-time debate will continue for years to come. Some fans will support Jordan in the debate regardless of LeBron’s accomplishments, while others are completely in support of James. In all reality, both LeBron and Jordan have legitimate arguments for being referred to as the greatest NBA player ever.
They did play at different times, though, and the game has changed since Jordan left the NBA. In fact, the game has continued to evolve throughout LeBron’s career. Stephen A. Smith has considered all of that, and he isn’t afraid to bring it up in any debate.