Say what you want about Stephen A. Smith, but the man knows good TV. The outspoken ESPN personality was asked this morning on Get Up which NBA Finals matchup he’d like to see, and instead of going with another iteration of the league’s greatest rivalry by saying Lakers-Celtics, Stephen A. cooked up a response that would make psychiatrists in Ohio a great deal of money.
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That’s right, Stephen A. would like to see the Los Angeles Lakers face the Cleveland Cavaliers, which would put LeBron James in the position of having to defeat his old team for his fifth ring. The storylines would write themselves in that one, and it would only further complicate the relationship between the Akron kid and his hometown fans.
This is a diabolical proposition, and it’s even more noteworthy given the recent altercation between Stephen A. and LeBron. Just imagine the ratings and the amount of times we’ll see, “Cleveland, this is for you!” played as LeBron and Luka Doncic go to war with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.
LeBron has mostly been able to avoid this scenario in the past. Even when he left the Cavs the first time to take his talents to South Beach, Cleveland fell off the map until he returned, so he never did get to face them in the playoffs. If he had to face the Cavs now, in his 22nd year, it would provide the ultimate chapter to the tail end of his career, and Smith knows it.
Smith considers this “box office” with the viewership it would draw and caliber of play that would be on display. “Here’s the reason why I would put that above LA-Boston: I don’t believe the Lakers have a chance against the Boston Celtics… Cleveland is a different matter… I think that would be epic.”
That intensity would only be heightened by the fact that this is not only the best Cavs team since LeBron left, but it might be the best one, period, even including all the years when he led them to the Finals. Cleveland has the best record in the NBA at 56-11, and has to go 11-4 in their final 15 games to set the all-time franchise mark for regular season wins.
“LeBron James going to Cleveland trying to prevent Cleveland from capturing an NBA championship… That would be epic.”
—@stephenasmith‘s wishlist for the NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/H0jJnZ9Hhg
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 17, 2025
LeBron vs. the Cavs for all the marbles would be pure cinema
The NBA is often accused of rigging the deck to get the matchups it wants, but this battle is well within the range of possibility. The Lakers have lost a few games recently, which has mostly been due to a slew of injuries, including to LeBron, who remains out with a strained groin.
When healthy, the Lakers have been one of the best teams in the league, and the addition of Luka has raised their ceiling considerably. If they’re at full strength for the postseason, they could absolutely come out of the West, especially given how much their defense has improved in recent months.
It’s assumed that the Cavs and the Celtics are on a collision course for Eastern Conference supremacy, and given the fact that the Cavs have split the season series 2-2 with the defending champs, which includes overcoming a 22-point deficit to win in Boston in late February, it’s entirely possible that Cleveland could be Finals-bound.
Kendrick Perkins believes the Celtics and the Thunder will meet in the Finals, but for pure entertainment value, we have to go with Stephen A. here. LeBron versus Cleveland is everything an NBA fan could ask for and more.
