Stephen A. Smith, a renowned ESPN analyst, has said that LeBron James winning a fifth NBA title would open up discussions about him surpassing Michael Jordan as the greatest player in NBA history. Smith, who has already placed James at number two on his all-time Mount Rushmore, acknowledged the Lakers star’s career achievements thus far. He mentioned that he had previously found it insulting for anyone to believe that James belonged above Jordan, but a fifth NBA title would change his opinion.
If LeBron wins a fifth NBA title, @stephenasmith says "it would warrant a discussion" of passing MJ on the basketball Mount Rushmore đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/YR3tuBkCpu
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 9, 2023
Jordan has a more impressive resume in certain categories, including his 10 scoring titles, five MVP awards, six NBA championships, and six NBA Finals MVP awards. However, James has appeared in more NBA Finals and is now the league’s all-time leading scorer. A fifth NBA title would help James close the gap between himself and Jordan in the debate over the greatest player of all time.
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Smith acknowledged that, even with a fifth NBA title, he wouldn’t rank James above Jordan, but he would understand why others might. Currently, the Lakers are up 3-1 in the Western Conference semifinals against the Golden State Warriors, giving them a good chance of reaching the Western Conference Finals this season. If they advance, James and company will take on the winner of the Phoenix Suns-Denver Nuggets series.
James has already won a title with the Lakers, making him an NBA champion with three different teams (the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers being the other two). He is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time, and any additional accolades he can add to his resume will only strengthen his case for being the best.
However, James and the Lakers must first focus on their upcoming games to advance further in the playoffs. They will face the Warriors for Game 5 at Chase Center on Wednesday night, and James will have to lead his team to victory if they hope to have a shot at winning another NBA title.
LeBron James and the Lakers: Can They Overcome the Odds to Win Another Championship?
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith’s opinion on LeBron James potentially passing Michael Jordan as the greatest player in NBA history hinges on whether or not James can win another championship this season. The Los Angeles Lakers chances of a title appeared slim earlier this season with a rough start, losing their first five games and going 2-8 in their first ten games.
However, following the trade deadline, the Lakers made several moves that have transformed the team into a potential contender for a championship. General Manager Rob Pelinka recognized that something was not working and took action to fix it. Pelinka stated in February, “When something’s not working as a general manager, it’s your job to fix it.”
The Lakers’ new roster has paid off as they are now up 3-1 over the defending champions heading into a potential closeout Game 5. Whether James and the Lakers can make it past the Conference Finals and win another NBA Championship remains to be seen.
However, if they do, it may warrant the discussion of James passing Jordan as the greatest player in NBA history, according to Smith. James is already one of the greatest players of all time, and every accolade he adds to his resume will only make it harder for others to say that Jordan had a better career
