Stephen A. Smith Slams LeBron James’ Agent For Downplaying Michael Jordan’s Legacy: “Scratch That Dream”

While trying to boost LeBron James, Rich Paul claimed, without Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan would not have won any championships.

Stephen A. Smith Slams LeBron James’ Agent For Downplaying Michael Jordan’s Legacy: “Scratch That Dream”

Rich Paul, LeBron James, and Stephen A. Smith (Image via FirstSportz)

With LeBron James‘ career winding down, he wants to win a championship. To help him do that, his agent, Rich Paul, is working around the clock trying to get the Lakers or any other team willing to sign him to commit to building a contending team.

The Klutch Sports CEO has been talking about how his most important client wants to be where he is appreciated. With the drama surrounding how the Lakers’ attitude towards the King has changed, Paul is trying to find common ground.

James has proved that he can play any role the organization wants, and can also lead, quite admirably for his age, whenever it is required. But just to make it more apparent, the super agent is trying to boost his client’s legacy in other ways.

In an effort to do that, a couple of days ago, the 45-year-old downplayed Michael Jordan‘s legacy by suggesting that without Scottie Pippen, none of it would have mattered. Naturally, this would come to His Airness’ supporters, and one of them had to talk about it.

It will never happen as long as I’m breathing, and I’m doing First Take. You can scratch that dream, my brotha. It’s never, ever, ever going to happen… You can try that nonsense some place else. It ain’t working. Because it all comes back to First Take, baby. And I’m right here.

Stephen A. Smith said on First Take

The 58-year-old did not play into his beef with James, but made it clear that if there is any effort to tarnish Jordan’s legacy, they have to subsequently raise that of the Lakers’ superstar. Since that has not happened, this argument does not make sense.

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Analyst takes shots at LeBron James’ legacy amidst Rich Paul controversy

Stephen A. Smith did what he is known for: taking a direct shot at the person in question in his usual sarcastic tone. Another analyst, Tim MacMahon, took a different approach to end Rich Paul’s controversial take.

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James
Dwyane Wade and LeBron James (Image via Clutch Points/X)

If you unplug Dwyane Wade from the Miami Heat, LeBron doesn’t win titles there. If you unplug Kyrie from the Cavaliers, they don’t come back 3-1. If you unplug Anthony Davis from the bubble Lakers, they don’t win a championship… It’s really hard to win a championship if you don’t have a co-star.

Tim MacMahon said on Get Up

The Texas-based ESPN reporter essentially canceled everything Adele‘s fiance said by dissecting every title-winning run LeBron James has had.

MacMahon also added that without Jalen Williams, it was difficult for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to defend the Oklahoma City Thunder’s crown.

Every championship team has a superstar and a co-star or two. Since James had three different co-stars and more, the analyst felt that it was incorrect for Paul to attempt to take down Michael Jordan’s legacy by talking about Scottie Pippen.

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Rich Paul compares LeBron James to Muhammad Ali

These opinions are likely to get Rich Paul‘s attention, and he might be preparing his response for the next episode of Game Over Podcast. But in that previous episode, the agent also said something about James that slipped through all the Jordan rhetoric.

If you win one time in Cleveland, there’s nothing else to be done… The idea of going back home and winning one. I always looked at LeBron to be more of what I would say the People’s champ, like Muhammad Ali, was. Even when he lost, I feel like people really embraced him.

Rich Paul said

Essentially, he, too, does not believe that going back to the Cleveland Cavaliers is a good idea. The four-time league MVP is already at the top of the state’s sports fans’ Mount Rushmore, no matter what he is doing in Los Angeles.

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