Remember when Charles Barkley called out Michael Jordan’s management skills with the Charlotte Hornets? That friendship ended right there. Now, something similar is brewing, only this time, it’s LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith. Smith has been vocal about Bronny James, and let’s just say, LeBron wasn’t having it. But what happened next? It might just top the MJ-Chuck fallout.
Of course, Smith and LeBron were never best buddies, but when the Lakers superstar got the chance, he made sure everyone saw where he stood. In front of a packed arena, LeBron confronted Smith, turning the moment into a viral spectacle. And just like that, the debate snowballed, dragging in analysts, former teammates, and now, one of LeBron’s closest allies—Dwyane Wade.
Interestingly, Wade didn’t see this as a heated dispute. Instead, he called it a sign of respect. Speaking on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, Wade shared his perspective.
“We’ve never seen LeBron do that. Like even we’ve never seen, like LeBron don’t even go back at players that follow him too hard on the court. We’ve never seen him be, like he’s always been, just even keel and level-headed in every aspect,” Wade explained.
Still, Wade acknowledged that this time was different. LeBron, usually unfazed by criticism, couldn’t let this one slide. “[I] watch the clip and watch him on that bench and see Stephen A over there, he was just, he couldn’t take it,” Wade said, describing LeBron’s visible frustration.
Feb 22, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat former player Dwyane Wade speaks during his jersey retirement celebration at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Yet, Wade assured Smith that LeBron wasn’t coming from a bad place. “But it just, it was burning him. But, you know, I told him, I said, you know, Stephen, I think the one thing is, and first of all, I take it, that’s a sign of respect that LeBron did that to you.”
However, in this whole saga, we can say D-Wade took LeBron’s side and he also admitted it.
This is a developing story…
The post Despite Heated Debate, Dwyane Wade Sees LeBron Confronting Stephen A. Smith as a Sign of ‘Respect’ appeared first on EssentiallySports.