Declaring Nikola Jokic and Co. the Biggest Obstacle, Stephen A. Smith Lays Down the Condition for LeBron James to Surpass Michael Jordan

Prateek Singh | 18/04/2024
Declaring Nikola Jokic and Co. the Biggest Obstacle, Stephen A. Smith Lays Down the Condition For LeBron James to Surpass Michael Jordan

In two days, the Los Angeles Lakers will start their First Round of Playoff campaign against the Denver Nuggets. Even though they had to go through the play-in to get there, Stephen A. Smith is confident that the Purple and Gold would present a strong challenge against the defending champions. As for the personal gains for LeBron James, out of this tournament, Smith believes this could be his opportunity to surpass Michael Jordan’s legacy.

The media veteran said that if the Lakers defeat the Nuggets, they stand a chance to “win it all” this season. In his opinion, beating the Nuggets would mean that they would beat any other team to get the trophy. While it isn’t going to be a cakewalk, Smith added that the Lakers have so much to gain that they have to pull off something extraordinary to get there.

He said that this year’s win would bring the fifth ring for King James, surpassing MJ on the all-time greats list. He is a well-known MJ fan, however, it could all change this year. On his show ‘First Take’, Smith claimed,

“If LeBron James beats Denver and marches forward to ultimately win another chip, I don’t know how strong my argument is going to be on behalf of Jordan moving forward.”

James already has had one of the greatest NBA careers of all time going neck to neck with Jordan for the top spot. If he wins another chip in the 21st season of his career, while carrying the Lakers on his back at 39 years of age, it would be difficult to argue against him being the greatest player ever. However, the team that finished the regular season with a 57-25 record isn’t going to be easy on them.

LeBron James and Co. are equipped for the title shot

Earlier on ‘First Take’, Stephen A. Smith slammed all the naysayers for arguing against the Lakers’ chances of beating the Nuggets. Many fans believe that Denver is a much stronger side, and they will cruise past the LA franchise.

Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

However, Smith countered them saying,

“A lot of people ready to wave ‘bye bye’ to them cause they’re getting ready to go up against the defending NBA champions. That shouldn’t be the case.”

Smith argued that with LeBron, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, etc. in rotation, they look like title contenders. Moreover, on the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, Gilbert Arenas unveiled the key element that could prove to be a deciding factor in favor of the Lakers.

He said, “Los Angeles Lakers, you can’t have rogue basketball in the last 3 minutes because they are playing at a 95% efficient clip.” Now with such high hopes and expert advice, the Lakers might be able to pull off one of the biggest upsets in the league in recent years.

Post Edited By: Hitesh Nigam
LeBron James Michael Jordan Nikola Jokic

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Prateek Singh

Prateek is a Senior NBA Writer for The SportsRush. He has over 900 published articles under his name. Prateek merged his passion for writing and his love for the sport of basketball to make a career out of it. Other than basketball, he is also an ardent follower of the UFC and soccer. Apart from the world of sports, he has followed hip-hop religiously and often writes about the origins, evolution, and the biggest stars of the music genre.

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