The battle of the GOATs is heating up yet again, after all, it’s Stephen A. Smith stirring the pot. LeBron James hit back at him during his viral guest appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. This rivalry really blew up this season after their very public confrontation courtside before a game. To be fair, the heat between the two has always been there. But it was cranked up a notch after Smith pinned down his son Bronny’s inclusion in the NBA nepotism. This time, it’s SAS alleging that Bron’s appearance at the show was fixed due to Pat’s negotiations with his agent, Rich Paul.

It sounds too big of an accusation to make if you ignore that McAfee does have a history of buying appearances, as evidenced by Aaron Rodgers’ weekly appearances that Pat apparently pays more than a mil for each year. Smith used this to paint a picture of Rich Paul coming onto the show and fixing a meeting just a few days before his star client made an appearance. “This was planned. Rich Paul was on Pat McAfee’s show about 10 days earlier or whatever….. He’s a strategic thinker. He didn’t go there by accident. You (Rich Paul) are there talking with Pat McAfee and the next thing you know within two weeks after obviously a negotiation took place LeBron James is on it”. Fair enough. Even if this were true, how do these two events correlate? 

“We know a negotiation took place because we understand that since LeBron had Uninterrupted or whatever the hell it was called– he’s been about control. He’s been about making sure things are his way. Us, as the media members know it because his behavior has changed since he’s had his own media outlet in terms of how he treats the media.” This is when he tries to confirm his own experience as ‘the media’ when James talks about interfering too much with the players’ processes in the whole ‘face of the NBA’ debate. He called out the media for it, and Smith wasn’t having it.

This was before Smith pivoted from the topic at hand to another debate circling around the NBA. “But we won’t focus on that too much.” Michael Jordan came back to the discussion. Smith believes Bron has been walking around with an SAS-sized chip on his shoulder due to him being the only inferior all-timer to Jordan. “But it ain’t enough because one thing matters to him and one thing only and that’s him being recognized as the greatest of all time. Well you’re not in my book. That belongs to Michael Jordan.”

The whole quarter of the segment really ended on a note that brings us back to LBJ’s retirement. Despite the sides people choose, his retirement is the worst thing to happen to the league since Kobe Bryant. There will be mutual respect between all sides to appreciate the King’s greatness. But Stephen won’t be one of those.

LeBron James’ retirement mocked by Stephen A. Smith

SAS has been in the sport for a long time. “Over quarter of a century” is how he puts it. Mathematically, that’s less than the time LeBron James‘ spent in the league as a player. Smith says he won’t do anything to ‘dishonor’ the network, the sport, and himself. But, he also talks about his new deal with ESPN eclipsing Bron’s remaining playing career.

“The day he came upto me was the day my new contract was announced. So he knows like everybody else- it’s gonna be a little while before I go away. I was here before he got here in 2003. And in all likelihood, imma be here when he’s gone. You got to deal with that bro. Plain and simple.” Smith signed a five-year contract worth $100 million earlier this year. James mentioned that he won’t be playing for too long. While he didn’t put an exact time stamp, it’s not going to be 5 years for sure.

Regardless of Pat McAfee paying Rich Paul to rig LeBron James’ arrival, Stephen A. Smith’s comments have gone incredibly viral- and not in a good way. But from a fan’s perspective, it’s time to get the popcorn ready. Especially after Smith talked about being able to swing back at James if he ever takes an attempted hit at him.