Stephen A. Smith fires back at LeBron James' media criticism

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When LeBron James announced he would take a break from social media, it sparked questions, but it sparked some criticism from Stephen A Smith. The ESPN First Take host spoke Thursday morning and slammed James for his comments that had no substance.

“You’ve got a lot of people out there that literally will pass gas and want you to say it’s perfume, literally, in today’s sports world,” Smith said. “And that’s where it becomes a bit egregious.”

One of the comments that went his way was about fellow teammate, and current rookie Dalton Knecht. James said he watched Knecht during the Elite Eight of the 2024 March Madness. After his comments, memes and sarcastic remarks circulated James’s feed. People even went as far as to make compilations of when he lied about a story he told.

Despite the negativity, Smith feels that James’ passive-aggressive comments didn’t help his case. While not many are as bold and confrontational as Smith is, he illustrates an interesting point. Players like Kevin Durant are not afraid to go after their critics, whether warranted or unwarranted. Although Smith is suggesting that James do the same, that’s atypical of him.

LeBron James, Stephen A Smith’s criticism highlights social media narratives

As mentioned before, James has always been under scrutiny for the most microscopic things on social media. When he posted the farewell, James endorsed Durant’s manager’s response to the negativity within the media. He retweeted the X post by Durant’s manager and commented “AMEN!” Then, he took to his personal social media accounts and posted this message.

"And with that said I'll holla at y'all! Getting off social media for the time being. Y'all take care," James posted, followed by emojis of a hand holding up two fingers and a crown. 

There’s some irony to the situation, especially that Smith has been notorious for going after players. For instance, he attacked Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant about their performances. Smith even responded to Durant’s firey clown accusation during the beginning of the season. Although there’s still some substance to what the ESPN host is saying, James’ reason stems back to people like Smith perpetuating matters like these.

It’s not entirely Smith, as many folks in the media circulate misinformation. While there’s a good amount of accurate information from the media, criticism sometimes is warranted. However, this break won’t likely stop the circulation of criticism of James and other NBA stars.

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