The ongoing saga between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith has basketball fans on the ropes. A bulk of the NBA media coverage has been all about The King and the $100 million man’s public beef, one which neither seems to be letting go of. While many have scrutinized James for his “sensitivity” towards what SAS has stated, others have dug up some receipts from the past in his defense. Why? What LBJ asked of SAS isn’t that much different than what Michael Jordan once asked of the media.
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It all started when James publicly confronted Smith during the Lakers/Knicks basketball game in Los Angeles earlier this month. LBJ reprimanded the popular analyst for speaking ill of his son Bronny.
After initially understanding James’ outcry, Smith has since gathered as much ammunition against the NBA superstar as possible and spoken negatively about him on every television appearance. James just wanted them to focus on basketball. Smith and Co. have another agenda.
What’s funny is that Jordan did the same thing during his heyday. X user @MaskedInLA shared footage of an old ESPN Classic documentary about His Airness.
The footage revealed NBA beat writers admitting that Jordan came to them and asked them not to paint him in a negative light, specifically when his first son, Jeffrey, was born out of wedlock. “We protected him more than I’d like to admit,” a writer claimed. It was alluded that MJ continued to pressure them to keep up his public image.
The clip was all @MaskedInLA needed to make their point about the hypocrisy that James faces. “Jordan was begging the media to protect him,” they wrote. “LeBron asking them to keep it about basketball. Don’t wanna hear sh** man.”
Jordan was begging the media to protect him. LeBron asking them to keep it about basketball. Don’t wanna hear shit man
pic.twitter.com/jJ2piY1vts— 🎭 (@MaskedInLA) March 27, 2025
The sentiment was shared. Several other users pointed to the social media age that LeBron has been forced to play through and how Jordan never had to deal with it. “MJ would crumble under the 24/7 Social Media and News Cycle players deal with now,” wrote one user. He has a point, one that even MJ is apparently aware of.
“Michael has been very open about how he could not survive in this social media era. Not a lot of the guys in that era could have,” wrote MyNameIsJeff on X.
LeBron James has been expertly handling the media ever since he debuted in the league
For 22 years, LBJ has dealt with the massive amounts of media coverage dating back to his high school days. He entered the league as its new messiah, with many pushing the Face of the League narrative onto his persona. “The next Michael Jordan,” many shouted on the rooftops. That was a lie. He wasn’t the next MJ, he was the first LeBron James.
As early as his rookie year James had Hall of Fame expectations, ones which he has clearly met. He’s won four NBA Championships and four league MVPs. He’s the all-time leader in points scored, and he’s still performing at a high level at 40 years old.
LeBron James also accomplished this all in the social media boom. Where anyone anywhere can scrutinize or heighten the smallest of micro-aggressions and get worldwide coverage of it.
The amount of nonsense any athlete, specifically someone as high-profile as LBJ, has to deal with on a regular basis from the “media” is ridiculous, but the great ones wave it off and live their life. 22-years later, and Bron is still standing.
