In recent days, the NBA world has been buzzing about the courtside exchange between Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith at Madison Square Garden during a matchup against the New York Knicks. The confrontation stemmed from Smith’s criticism of James’ son, Bronny, sparking a heated response from the NBA icon. But the drama didn’t stop there. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green recently labeled Smith a hypocrite for his latest remarks.
Smith had previously criticized Green for past on- and off-court altercations that caused him trouble. However, in the aftermath of the James incident, Smith made an eyebrow-raising statement, saying, “If that man [LeBron] would’ve put his hands on me, I would’ve immediately swung on him. Immediately”.
Green found Smith’s comments perplexing and took aim at the analyst during an episode of “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.” “I was a little baffled by [Stephen A. Smith] saying that he would’ve swung on [LeBron James] after he just kind of questioned me saying, ‘When you talk like that where I’m from, you get hands put on you,’ trying to use my basketball career and things that have happened on the basketball court to try to use it against me for my next career,” Green said.
“I saw him do that. And then, to come out and do the very thing you tried to use against me, I thought was a little, not only petty, but contradictory to what you just did,” Green added.
Green takes a swipe at media coverage
The four-time NBA champion didn’t stop there. He also criticized the current state of NBA media coverage, accusing analysts of prioritizing sensationalism over genuine basketball discussions.
“You’ve had moments before, you need to not say nothing about hands. But then, you start talking about swinging on someone,” Green said. “I just remember the day when the media would just talk basketball, and that was that”.
LeBron James joins the criticism of media analysis
LeBron James also shared his thoughts on the changing dynamics of NBA coverage, specifically targeting former players turned analysts. James argued that while these ex-players might have dominated on the court due to their physical gifts, many lack the intellectual depth to provide meaningful analysis.
“A lot of those guys that played the game, they played the game while they were talented,” James said on The Pat McAfee Show. “I don’t think they thought the game or were ever smart. They were just bigger, stronger, and maybe faster, and they dominated. And when it was over, it was over”.