Stephen A. Smith has left the basketball community livid. The ESPN analyst clapped back at Allen Iverson, refuting his opinions regarding Kobe Bryant being the 2nd greatest player ever. Taking to social media, Smith made his points pretty clear by comparing Bryant to LeBron James. The comparisons didn’t sit well with a majority of enthusiasts. Rashad McCants was merely one among many to be furious at Stephen A.’s take, dissing the latter for trying to tarnish Kobe’s name after his death.
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During a recent interview, Allen Iverson claimed that Michael Jordan was the greatest player to exist. However, the Philadelphia 76ers immediately stated that Kobe Bryant deserved to be 2nd, behind Jordan, in the “best ever” debate, instead of LeBron James.
Iverson was Bryant’s long-standing rival. Having gone up against each other on numerous occasions, the two superstars shared immense love for each other. Hence, it seemed that The Answer was speaking from an emotional mind when he pinned the Black Mamba as the 2nd best ever.
Soon after the interview was uploaded on social media, Stephen A. Smith released a video rebutting AI’s claims.
“Kobe Bryant is not the second greatest player in NBA history,” Smith said. “That’s just not true. It’s just not!”
According to the NBA pundit, LeBron James deserved the 2nd best ever spot more than Kobe did. Apart from comparing their stats and the two icons’ teammates, SAS also spoke about the superior durability of the King.
“The points per game didn’t equal LeBron’s, the assists didn’t equal LeBron’s, the rebounds didn’t equal LeBron’s, the durability didn’t equal LeBron’s. He’s (Kobe) got more rings, but we can’t ignore the fact the first three came with Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal) in his prime… LeBron didn’t have Shaq as a teammate. Kyrie (Irving) and Kevin Love, okay…Dwayne Wade, (Chris) Bosh and Ray Allen, okay,” Smith stated.
On an episode of Gils Arena, Rashad McCants ripped apart the analyst for his take. According to McCants, Smith never put Kobe below LeBron when he was alive. McCants implied that Stephen A. is trying to use Bryant only to “extend his narrative”.
“You didn’t have that energy when he was here. Where was that energy when he was alive? And stop bringing this man, who passed, to extend your narrative. Why would Kobe be in the conversation for you to kill him off so LeBron can live higher than him? It don’t make no f**king sense. Let the man rest,” McCants said.
It can be a bit disappointing to see Stephen A. Smith conveniently leave out the two championships that Kobe won without Shaquille O’Neal playing alongside him. Irrespective of the accolades, McCants seems to be irate due to his admiration for Bryant. After Bryant’s passing, LeBron won another championship and even clinched the NBA’s all-time leading scoring record.
Never did it seem as though the analyst was belittling the Lakers legend. Hence, it makes sense as to why Smith would consider LBJ as the 2nd best ever, after Bryant’s sad demise. While Rashad McCants’ anger is understandable, it isn’t justified.
NBA Twitter reacts to Rashad McCants’ rant towards the Kobe Bryant-Allen Iverson comments made by Stephen A. Smith
Several fans reacted to user @WhozMEECH, who uploaded the video of McCants’ rant. Several users backed Smith, failing to understand why the former NBA player was so livid. Without coming off as detractors, these users simply implied that Kobe Bryant didn’t have a case for being included in the “top three”.
Matt Barnes had a different opinion than the consensus. Kobe’s former teammate clapped back at Stephen A. Smith by simply stating that this debate was opinion-based. Barnes further claimed that several players in the league placed Bryant on a pedestal.
Barnes isn’t inaccurate. Players such as Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, and DeMar DeRozan, among many others, have grown up idolizing Kobe Bryant. While LeBron James might be the more accomplished player of the two, Bryant’s influence has managed to impact the current generation in the league by a lot more than most personalities could have ever managed. So, perhaps there really isn’t any end to this debate that isn’t opinion-based.
