LeBron James has had several rivalries in his 18 long years in the NBA. However, the one with DeShawn Stevenson has to be the most entertaining one so far.
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LeBron James has been a household name ever since he was drafted straight out of high school in 2003. 19 years later, he is still one of the most dominating players in the league.
He was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers and spent 7 seasons there before taking his talents to the Miami Heat. LeBron’s Cavs were a force to reckon with in the ’00s and the cause of many rivalries that ensued. He single-handedly turned a lottery team into a finals team.
Between 2005-2008, the Cleveland Cavaliers met the Washington Wizards 3 times in the first round of the playoffs. The king defeated them every time but the highlight of that matchup was the rivalry with DeShawn Stevenson.
DeShawn Stevenson was never a great player, however, his on-court antics made him a famous personality. He was also drafted straight out of high school but couldn’t live up to the expectation like LeBron James. By 2005 he earned himself a starting spot on the Wizards.
This beef between LeBron James and Deshawn Stevenson involved Jay Z, Destiny’s Child, and Soulja Boy
Although what exactly caused the rivalry between the two is still unknown, many believe it has got something to do with Destiny’s Child. Stevenson dated 2 members of the girl group and it is believed that James made a personal comment that didn’t sit right with him.
In 2008 after a missed game-winner in the regular season, the Wizards guard called LeBron James overrated. It’s ridiculous coming from someone who was thought to be a great player but regressed after making it to the league. The King destroyed him by bringing the Jay Z-Soulja Boy analogy and didn’t pay much heed to DeShawn’s comments.
Jay Z made a diss track and played it in a club in Washington after Stevenson called his friend overrated. The latter was pleased that a global sensation like Jay-Z was paying him this much attention.
Cavaliers and Wizards met in the first round yet again and they were in for a wild 6-game series. LeBron was clearly fueled by Stevenson’s words. He dominated them in the first two games, getting his team a 2-0 lead. However, the series took a dramatic turn when the matchup moved to Washington.
Stevenson hit 5 3s in LeBron’s face and the Wizards went on to blow out the Cavaliers. Soulja Boy was present courtside in his jersey as well. Cavs ended their championship hopes winning the series 4-2 but the story does not end here.
Fast forward to 2011, when Miami Heat met Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs. That’s when DeShawn finally got his revenge but this time he knew better than to instigate the King. But the fans wanted to reignite the beef. Several fake accounts on Stevenson’s name started slandering LeBron and coach Rick Carlisle gave him an earful.
He had to publically address the situation and let James know he is no longer looking for the smoke. Soon after he retired from the league and has been out of the limelight ever since.
