The dynamic duo of Shannon Sharpe and Stephen A. Smith is all set to come together for the 1st time to co-host ESPN’s First Take. However, before working on the First Take, the duo collaborated on Shannon’s Club Shay Shay to discuss the upcoming 2023-24 season. One of the topics they discussed was the blockbuster match between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather in 2015. They discussed how Mayweather made the opponents look lower in the skillset than him. In continuation, Stephen A. Smith compared Mayweather to the great Michael Jordan to irk Sharpe, as everyone knows Sharpe’s admiration for LeBron James.
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The over-discussed topic of the GOATs in basketball always pops – up two names: Michael Jordan and LeBron James. This conversation rekindled in Shannon’s Club Shay Shay podcast, and the conversation took an animated turn like always. Stephen A. mentioned that LBJ is one of the best players in the game but is not better than Jordan and then goes on to quote his accomplishments but also says LBJ is one of the greatest to play the game.
Lebron James v/s Michael Jordan, another GOAT debate intensifies!
Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe will co-host the first take. Before the show, SAS was seen in a conversation with Sharpe on Club Shay Shay’s podcast. However, the debate of Michael Jordan v/s Lebron James started when Stephen A. was asked about which sports he liked the most, to which he responded by saying basketball and boxing.
Talking about Floyd’s greatness, Sharp said, “Everybody that Mayweather fought, he made him look like it was five years too late, right, and that’s how the great that’s the greatness of him.”
The basketball fraternity knows Shannon’s admiration for Lebron, and there have been endless debates on his previous show, The First Take. Stephen A. Smith brought in LBJ and MJ comparison in the conversation by candidly stating, “Floyd Mayweather is more Michael Jordan than LeBron”:
You talk about Mayweather, right Mayweather? I would say the same about Jordan but that’s the difference. I mean, I’m glad that you heard that; I mean, that’s what I’m talking about. I’m saying, you know, because Jordan’s gonna make you look like you’re less than what y’all like.”
Shannon did expect a sudden transition in the topic where he had to gather his thoughts on how the comparison got down to a GOAT debate between LBJ and MJ. And the discussion went on, where both of them admired the admiration for the two players. Smith ended up shunning Sharpe’s emotions, saying,
“I’d say all it’s just that I call it like I see it I’m not emotional like you no no no no I’ve been doing my homework on you yeah you know…”
Jordan was universally feared, and King James was widely respected!
As the topic of GOATs intensified, it was a field day for the fans, popcorn out, as this debate had to get interesting. SAS stuck with MJ as the GOAT, and Sharpe had Lebron on his note. SAS brought out the topic of Jordan being 6-0 in the NBA Finals and him being a 6x Finals MVP.
“Do you understand that Jordan is 6-0 in the NBA Finals? And you understand Jordan was MVP all six NBA Finals? Do you understand that Jordan never even allowed a Finals series to go seven games?”
However, Sharpe countered with LBJ’s dominance on the court, being the NBA’s top scorer of all time and bringing up his 3-1 comeback over the mighty Golden State Warriors.
However, Smith dismissed this argument by stating Jordan is a two-way player compared to LBJ, who has never been a defensive first guy on the team. But in the end, the conversation concluded with Stephen A. stating, “LeBron is universally respected and revered. MJ [Michael Jordan] was feared. You know the difference.”
