Stephen A. Smith says that LeBron James is the reason behind the Brooklyn Nets forming a superteam with James Harden and Blake Griffin.
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Kevin Durant’s departure from the Golden State Warriors two years ago brought about a sense of balance to the NBA. The 2019 offseason saw the rise of dominant duos across the league, in Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Miami, amongst other cities.
There was no team in the league in the 2019-20 season that was chosen to be a clear favorite to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the year.
Fast-forward to today and the Brooklyn Nets on the East Coast, and the Los Angeles Lakers on the West coast have resorted to assembling teams that seem to be destined to get out of their respective conferences.
The Brooklyn Nets for the most part, have undergone a massive roster shakeup mid-season, signing James Harden, Blake Griffin, and LaMarcus Aldridge. This clearly does not sit well with fans due to the lack of competitive spirit, and it certainly does not sit well with Stephen A. Smith.
Stephen A. Smith blames LeBron James for the superteam era
LeBron James is no stranger to being on teams that hold a vice grip on their respective conference. His Miami Heat teams, and arguably his mid-2010s Cavalier teams were practically unbeatable. Stephen A references these teams in an effort to blame LeBron James for the superteam era that’s consumed the NBA.
I blame @KingJames for all of this! But I ain’t knocking him, either. After all, I will ALWAYS be grateful for our time in South Beach over those 4 years 😀 pic.twitter.com/OOotlEkxpN
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 29, 2021
LeBron James did join the Miami Heat in 2010 after having been surrounded by players who were simply not championship caliber players, on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Though he did recruit stars to join him in Miami to form a potential dynasty, it can be argued that the ‘08 Celtics were the first to have superstars team up over the course of one offseason.
LeBron James may have set the tone with superteams but ultimately, the Brooklyn Nets lucked out in the buyout market. The Nets benefit from the fact that they play in the glitz and glamour of New York City.
Joining a team that is most certainly going to be in the Finals, for the most part, and that team being in New York; it’s quite an attractive offer for an aging star with no ring. If this same team were in Indiana or Milwaukee, free agents might’ve gone elsewhere.
Stephen A. Smith does preface this with the fact that he was quite happy he could cover the Heat for those 4 years as he was able to reside in sunny Miami, Florida for that time.
