6 Years Before Claiming Michael Jordan Texted Him At 5:54 AM, Stephen A. Smith Was Exposed by LeBron James for Falsely Reporting on Kyrie Irving

Stephen A. Smith has been one of the more reliable analysts in the NBA community for some time now because of his deep roots in the basketball business. Known for his hot takes on ESPN’s ‘First Take’, Smith has been known to break exclusive stories given to him by his ‘sources’. Sometimes, it works out well for his credibility and reach, such as the analyst recently revealing Michael Jordan texted him regarding the Magic Johnson and Stephen Curry greatest-ever point guard conversation. However, as one might expect, there are times when things don’t quite work out well for the veteran commentator. On one such occasion six years ago, he was vehemently accused of lying by LeBron James himself.

Stephen Curry and Magic Johnson have recently been making headlines together. After Steph said that he believes he is the greater point guard of the two, many have come out to express their opinions on the matter. If Smith’s words are to be believed, Jordan is a member of this crowd as well, as he allegedly texted the ESPN analyst at 5:54 AM that he believes Magic has a far better resume than Curry for the title of greatest PG ever.

To most fans, Stephen A. Smith has quite a bit of credibility, so they tend to believe him with ease. However, given his history, some have found it a bit difficult to do so.

Stephen A. Smith was once shut down by LeBron James in 2017 after Kyrie Irving asked to be traded

2017 was a very different time in the NBA. Kyrie Irving and LeBron James were still together, while the Golden State Warriors were so dominant that many believed their roster was the greatest ever.

During this time, Irving was rumored to be unhappy as James’s #2, wanting to be the lead star in a different franchise. With all that playing on his head, the then-Cavaliers guard demanded a trade. At this time, many wondered how ‘the King’ felt about the whole ordeal. And as per Stephen A. Smith’s ‘sources’, King James was ‘unhappy’ with the trade request. Take a look at the tweet by ‘SLAM‘.

LeBron swiftly responded to the post, debunking the claim.

“#NotFacts people! Boooo!! Get another source. #EnjoyingMySummer #YouDoTheSame”

As seen in the tweet, James makes a clear attempt to keep things light-hearted. However, it is likely he was beyond irked after seeing Smith’s statement. Despite all the backlash from James and his fans, Smith would go on to stand his ground, claiming that he trusts his sources.

Lonzo Ball provided yet another hit to Smith’s credibility

Lonzo Ball’s knee injury has dragged on for longer than anyone could have possibly expected. Many even think that he will never be healthy enough to return to the NBA. However, the star has kept his hopes alive and is tirelessly working to recover every day.

Amidst all this, Stephen A. Smith announced that his sources have revealed Ball was having trouble standing up from a sitting position due to his injury. In response, the Bulls player posted this hilarious video on Twitter.

Ball is clearly only using his left knee, the one that is still recovering from injury. The fact that he can do such an energy transfer with ease provides hope that he will indeed return one day. And as one might expect, Smith’s credibility takes a massive hit from it too.

Editor’s note: The article doesn’t imply that Stephen A. Smith has resorted to lies in any of these cases. It may well be the case that his sources have reported false information to the analyst, or there has been a misunderstanding between the source(s) and the athlete(s).