Every media outlet is buzzing about the same thing: a potential LeBron James and Stephen Curry reunion. There have been rumors circulating that the Warriors might make another push to bring the 20-time All-Star on board. That could allow the two generational talents to chase their fifth championship title together. After all, who wouldn’t want a LeBron-Curry reunion? Well, there is someone– Stephen A. Smith, who has solid reasons to justify his perspective. While digging into the past, some surprising facts about the Lakers’ offer to Dan Hurley also came to light.

Honestly, Stephen A. wouldn’t mind the two coming together. In fact, he praised the iconic duo for their sensational performances in the Paris Olympics. However, he is not in favor of LeBron joining the Warriors, and he made his stance clear in the boldest terms. “LeBron doesn’t deserve it,” he declared on The Stephen A. Smith Show. This isn’t about his never-ending beef with the Lakers star. Rather, it’s the decisions LeBron made in Los Angeles that ruined his case for the host. Without any hesitation, Smith claimed, “He doesn’t deserve it because of the mess that exists in LA, and it’s primarily because of him.”

Remember the Darvin Ham saga? If not, don’t worry, the veteran analyst provided a quick refresher. Stephen A. brought up how the Lakers’ former head coach in his first year guided the team to the Western Conference finals where they couldn’t stand strong against the Nuggets. The following year, they lost 5 games to the Denver Nuggets. “But what precipitated that? Lebron James and folks hinting that Darvin Ham needed to go.” And the Lakers followed. Once the HC’s position was vacant, who filled in? JJ Redick, LeBron’s ex-podcast host. Before hiring the inexperienced coach, the franchise had considered offering the job to UConn head coach Dan Hurley. However, Smith isn’t ready to entertain that idea. “I don’t wanna hear s**t about Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers offering the job to Dan Hurley,” Smith furiously said.

Justifying his view, Stephen A. added, “When you offer them the job at $11 million per, it was still about 6 to 7 coaches that were gonna be paid more than a 2-time national champion, who would be giving up everything to come and coach the Lakers. If you wanted them bad enough, you could have made a better offer.” The Lakers offered Hurley $70 million for six years but he turned it down, citing his desire to continue winning titles with the NCAA side.

As the notion of LeBron‘s influence in recruiting Redick gained momentum after the latter joined, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka stepped forward to clarify that the 39-year-old was not involved in the decision-making process. But that didn’t convince Stephen A. who argued on the latest episode, “Is it possible that you didn’t want them bad enough because you really wanted JJ Reddick all along? And you just wanted to create and manipulate a narrative where that’s not what it is or that’s not how it looked.”

Though he admitted rooting for Redick given their shared history as former ESPN colleagues, he highlighted how LeBron’s decision had impacted the franchise. However, this wasn’t the only decision LeBron allegedly made that contributed to the Lakers’ struggles. Stephen A. brought up blasts from the past, pointing to other moves that he believes have led to the downfall of the team.

Stephen A. Smith sheds light on more of LeBron James’ “Bad Decisions”

Now, this action is something that even the franchise probably regrets taking. Replicating the opinion Stephen A. shared on First Take, he stated on his show, “They had Kyle Kuzma. They had Alex Caruso. They had a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. They had those cats. Okay? And you traded a few of them along with a pick to get yourself Russell Westbrook.” He acknowledged that the 9-time All-Star guard has had Hall of Fame-level performances, but not during his time with the Lakers. In fact, he was better in all other franchises that Westbrook has been a part of but was in his “worst version” in the Purple and Gold. “Why was he there? LeBron got him there,” Stephen A. pointed out.

However, he clarified, “LeBron isn’t responsible for every decision, every bad decision that has perplexed Laker fans all over the place. Rob Pelinka owns that.” But LeBron’s role in the front office decisions cannot be overlooked as well, “We can’t ignore what role LeBron played in as well,” Stephen A. added. According to him, the Lakers shouldn’t have rushed to acquire Westbrook by sacrificing key assets that helped them win a championship the previous season. “Of course, you had something to do with this. So why should you get to leave to go join Steph Curry in Golden State?” the 57-year-old questioned LeBron.

Smith believed that since LeBron allegedly caused many of the problems within the Lakers, he shouldn’t just leave the franchise in turmoil to bag a title with the Warriors. Instead, he felt LeBron should take responsibility for the situation he helped create and stay back in Los Angeles. Whether LeBron stays loyal to the Lakers or fulfills every basketball enthusiast’s dream by pairing with Stephen Curry is a question for the future.