“The Face of the League Worldwide,” Stephen A. Smith Refutes LeBron James’ Claim That Anthony Davis Is the Face of the Lakers

LeBron James heaped high praise on his teammate Anthony Davis. The 38-year-old power forward named Davis is the face of the franchise they play for. James is now the all-time top-scorer in NBA history. He called playing with the younger player a treat while expressing his joy at Davis signing an extension. Without naming names, James put the 30-year-old right up there with the other greats to pull on a Los Angeles Lakers uniform.

Stephen A. Smith vociferously disagreed with LeBron James’ assessment. On his show, First Take, he responded to the four-time NBA champion with just a spot of derision. According to Smith, LeBron James’ statement was “utterly ridiculous.” He followed that with the words, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

LeBron James is the face of the NBA!

Stephen A. Smith noted that LeBron James was the face of the NBA world over. He admitted Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is just as important a player as far as the league goes. Having got that out of the way, Smith noted that James’ claim carried not a lick of sense. He said, “LeBron is LeBron, and if he’s the face of the league, WORLDWIDE, meaning globally, how the h**l is his teammate the face of the Lakers? It don’t make no d**n sense, ain’t no logic to it whatsoever.”

Smith is a fan of Anthony Davis, too. According to the 55-year-old, there are few in the sport better than Davis when he is in the mood. Simultaneously, he posited that LeBron James chose his words carefully to send Davis a subtle message. He noted James wanted the younger forward to take over his mantle as the team’s best player. As he put it, “When AD brings his A-game, AD is a superstar in the game of basketball. When AD brings his A-game, you can’t find me seven players in the NBA better than AD. The fact is, LeBron James of all people calling him the face of the franchise, that’s because LeBron wants him to be.”

Is Davis to take over James’ mantle?

Stephen A. Smith additionally pointed out that LeBron James had entered his 21st year as a professional basketball player. According to him, James is on the lookout for someone else to pull on that pair of shoes. He noted James was much closer to the end of his career now. In his words, “LeBron is saying, yo, dawg, this is my 21st year. Can I get a break? Can somebody other than me step up and handle business on a consistent basis?”

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Ultimately, Stephen A. Smith believed that this was a clarion call from James to Anthony Davis. He added James wanted to inspire Davis to be more consistent with his performances. Also, he noted Davis was capable of such “greatness” and James was just trying to extract it. He said, “To apply that level of awareness, if not pressure, to Anthony Davis so he can learn to fully embrace it and embrace the level of greatness he is obviously capable of displaying on a night-in, night-out basis.”

LeBron James called Anthony Davis the face of the Los Angeles Lakers. That did not sit well with Stephen A. Smith. After debating the basis for that comment, Smith posited it was a calculated move from James. With his career drawing to a close, James had apparently picked Davis as the one to take over from him, according to Smith. Smith also praised Davis, saying, at his best, there are very few players better than him in the NBA. Simultaneously, he stated James was the global face of the NBA.

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