It seems like LeBron James, his agent, the Lakers and everyone associated with him can deny his hand in the hiring process and it will still be perceived otherwise. Unfortunately for the 39-year-old, the signs point to him. And it seems like that could be a reason for the Purple & Gold’s inability to land the stars they had their eyes on. Or should we say, LeBron had his eye on.

Apparently, that’s what Stephen A. Smith believes to be the case, particularly when it comes to Klay Thompson. A California native, the Sea Captain’s love for boat rides is only too well-documented. The ex-Warriors superstar guard has spoken about how much the ocean has helped his mental health during rehab. So, when a team offers him his due and the chance to stay close to Cali, in Los Angeles, the logical thing to do would be to accept it, right?

Nope, not for Thompson! In fact, he decided to make a nearly 1700+ miles trip to Dallas, away from everything he held dear. And per Stephen A., it was the Lakers superstar that drove him away. Or more to the point, Bron’s supreme role in the franchise. “Could it be that he didn’t want to go someplace where at least it’s perceived that the superstar is picking the coach and the draft picks a.k.a. JJ Redick and Bronny James via LeBron James? Could that be that Klay Thompson didn’t want to be in that predicament?” 

“Or could it be the fact that Golden State, obviously they consider the Lakers a rival, and they want supremacy within the state of California and Klay didn’t want to do that to them? I don’t know the answer to that question,” the veteran analyst stated after a stream of questions in the latest episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show. 

Yes, Klay might not be on the same level as the ‘Akron Hammer’, but the 4x champion is a superstar in his own right. That’s where the predicament that Smith talks about comes in. A worry that he might be relegated to nothing more than a third option. And not in a good way. Again, these are just hypothetical questions that Stephen A. Smith has pointed out in his pod. The man himself admitted to not knowing the answer.

However, he was sure of one thing.

Stephen A. ensures he has his facts straight in the Klay Thompson-Lakers interest, among others

“I just know it’s legitimate that LeBron James is willing to take a pay cut and nobody that he wanted came. James Harden stayed with the Clippers, Klay Thompson went to Dallas,” Smith said after his steady barrage of ingenious questions. It’s hard not to consider it a dig at Bron. However, the context surrounding this statement is true. James had indeed graciously offered to take a pay cut if the franchise could bring in one of the elite stars in free agency.

And they included Klay Thompson, James Harden, and Chris Paul. “How come the Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James, and Anthony Davis to a lesser degree, couldn’t get somebody to come to LA?” the shrewd ESPN vet asked.

For a storied franchise like the Lakers, with one of the greatest names in the history of basketball at the helm, it shouldn’t be hard to find a third star. At least, it shouldn’t be the case on paper. But CP3 favored Pop, Wembanyama, and the Spurs over Los Angeles. Harden seems to be done with jumping ships, for now. And then, we have China Klay. We all know what happened there.

Would it be too much of a stretch to consider Stephen A.’s doubts? Tell us what you think of the matter.

 But before you go, be sure to check this video of Leonardo Armato’s take on the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe.

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