“Stop That Nonsense”: Stephen A. Smith Exposes LeBron James’ Viral Claim On ‘Mind the Game’

One of the most disappointing seasons for LeBron James came in 2010. The Miami Heat forged a big 3 of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and James. Taking the league by the storm, Bron posted probably the most dominant team run that year, landing against the Dallas Mavericks in the finals. However, despite claiming a 2-1 lead in the championship series, the Heat soon crumbled to the tightly-knit Mavs squad. The Heat gave up 3 consecutive games for a 4-2 loss, enabling the Mavs to lift their first-ever franchise title.

While James has solidified his winning caliber since then, he addressed the tedious final series on the recent ‘Mind the Game’ episode. James claimed the team was built around “all minimum guys,” which “didn’t fill out the complimentary guys enough.” LeBron’s take saw a heated Stephen A. Smith bashing the 39-year-old. Smith highlights Miami’s initial lead in the series and James’ zero 4th-quarter points in Game 4 to say “That was not about your roster. That was about you.” And then, Smith brought in the iconic Michael Jordan comparison.

He ultimately finished by saying, “Let’s stop that nonsense. You’re right about the roster. But you ain’t right as to that’s the reason y’all lost in the finals.” Ever since marking his ESPN debut in 2003, Smith has steadily held Michael Jordan ahead of LeBron James. One of his most consistent firebacks revolves around being a clutch player and their Finals track record; something the analyst didn’t forget to mention through James’ dismal 2011 Finals performances.

James’ comments about whether the roster’s talent held weight or not stand debatable. Regardless, the Heat swapped a lot of faces the next year and immediately won consecutive championships. However, Smith’s take surely marks for a great argument.

LeBron James’ 2011 roster vs 2012 roster (Miami Heat)

After the tough loss, the Heat bought in names like Shane Battier (3 and D), and Norris Cole (point guard), and resigned Mario Chalmers (point and 3-point). The team immediately saw a spark in their games. While their scoring diminished in the season, they managed to alleviate their ranks where the entire league saw a scoring decline.

The team won 69% of their 66 games in the shortened season (2-month lockout due to the collective bargaining agreement). As their new faces stepped up to their roles, their big-3 saw a major shift in their efficiency. Chris Bosh’s offensive approach was altered to encourage more threes (career-high attempts of 0.6 as of 2011-2012 season). Defensively, he was guarding multiple positions.

Wade sacrificed significant minutes for rotation hygiene, dipping his shot attempts. Moreover, he was seen shooting more jumpers from inside the arc, rather than the three-point line. In turn, a cut in responsibilities helped him garner more steals and mark his career-best 1.3 blocks a game.

James, on the other hand, kept his game exactly the same, albeit using his size to drive the lane more. With enough faith in the roster at hand, James saw an increase in overall efficiency. Moreover, he led the team in points, rebounds, and assists for the season.

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