Luka Doncic trade snatches power from ‘face of league’ LeBron James after 22 years

According to Stephen A. Smith, the Lakers-Mavs trade has positioned Luka Doncic as the league's next face after LeBron James

Luka Doncic trade snatches power from ‘face of league’ LeBron James after 22 years

Stephen A Smith claims Luka has propelled himself ahead of James to become the face of the league

Preceding legendary names like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, LeBron James has been the face of the league for over two decades. During this period, the King has dominated the NBA and etched his name as one of the all-time greats in the history books. Winning a title for every franchise he has played for; it may be time for the aging King to pass the baton to his next predecessor.

According to ESPN’s reputed sports analyst Stephen A. Smith, this mega trade involving the swap of two major stars is more of a statement by the owners. As per Smith, the Lakers are a franchise whose ownership makes money solely from the sports team, meaning they are always in search of the next superstar. Since their previous one just joined club 40, it shouldn’t be a surprise that LA signed Luka Doncic in a split second when the opportunity presented itself.

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“This is no longer your franchise, this is Luka Doncic’s franchise now. … No one has ever said that in the 22 years that LeBron James has been in the NBA… not Cleveland, not Miami, not Cleveland again, not LA, not even the league.”– Stephen A Smith

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Stephen A Smith also put the whole basketball community on notice prior to handing over the title of being the face of the NBA to Luka Magic. He reminded fans that this will be the first time in James’ career that he will take a backseat to a much younger athlete, officially closing the chapter on the King James era.

Regardless of these remarks, Smith seems optimistic about the Slovenian guard playing for an esteemed franchise like the Los Angeles Lakers, unlike his colleague, Sir Charles Barkley, who predicted that Luka would have a slower start alongside LBJ.

Stephen A. Smith places the Mavericks as the No. 1 seed.

Aligning with another prominent sports analyst, Charles Barkley, Smith concurred and acknowledged how Anthony Davis’s addition to Dallas has significantly increased their perceived value. With half the regular season already over, Smith declared that the Mavs might just be OKC’s kryptonite and could topple them to become the leader in the West.

I got Dallas as the number one seed in the Western Conference right now…. if you are looking at Oklahoma City, as great as they have been, what has been their Achillis heel? Recently, the Dallas Mavericks had lost 5 of 7 games, the two games they won were against OKC. Who did they bounce out in the playoffs last year, Oklahoma City.

Stephen A Smith stated

Here, the ESPN analyst is echoing similar sentiments previously shared by Hall of Famer Charles Barkley. According to Barkley, with AD’s acquisition, the Dallas Mavericks have catapulted to the second spot in the Western Conference. Additionally, he remarked that none of the teams would be considered winners in the trade unless one of them wins a championship.