Knicks Made $1 Billion Promise to LeBron James But He Rejected, Claims Stephen A. Smith

Published 04/14/2024, 7:38 AM EDT

The most loudmouthed and controversial analyst is back with another insider story. Stephen A. Smith, the face of the ESPN top debate program, “First Take” recently appeared on the “Drink Champs” podcast hosted by Charlemagne The God. There he was talking about how big of a Knicks fan he is and spilled the beans on how the Big Apple failed to acquire the 4x NBA Champion, LeBron James. Even though at the time, the Akron Hammer’s first choice was the New York Knicks, they failed to entice him with their offer.

Stephen A. Smith was asked by Charlemagne the God about the LeBron-Knicks trade saying, “I felt like we had a chance to get LeBron at one point, 2010. So we had a chance to get LeBron, why didn’t James Dolan and the Knicks organization go all out?” Answering him Smith said, “They did, but they just didn’t have anything to offer. Like James Dolan’s pitch was ‘Come to me and I’ll make you a Billionaire’.”

Smith even agreed with Charlemagne that it was a cool pitch, but for a person who thinks he cannot become a billionaire without Dolan’s help. James however was aware of the talents he possessed and believed that he would become a billionaire all by himself. Due to that, Bron declined the Knicks’ offer and fast-forward to 2024, the L-Train is a billionaire with one of the most expensive contracts in the NBA and multiple businesses.

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However at that time apart from the Knicks, there were a lot of bidders for James like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. Smith even recalled the story of Pat Riley, the president of the Heat’s pitch, and how he wooed James, “He rolled up there with the championship rings and put em on the table and asked Bron ‘You want one of these?'” However, even before James’ had signed the papers with the Heat, Stephen A. Smith had broken the story and predicted the trade, but nobody took it seriously.

LeBron James’ move to the Miami Heat resurrected Smith’s career

Stephen A. Smith had one of the most difficult days of his career when he announced on his Fox Sports morning broadcast that LeBron James was joining the Miami Heat. Smith’s reputation had plummeted since he was fired by ESPN a little over a year ago. Despite having credible sources, nobody trusted him. If he had been wrong, critics would have used it to denigrate him further, blaming his removal from ESPN on a lack of trustworthiness.

However, when word of James’ departure to Miami surfaced three weeks later, Smith’s forecasting proved correct, and he garnered significant praise for his scoop. This change of events not only justified his reporting talents but also resurrected his career, displaying his perseverance.

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Written by:

Dhruv Shastry, an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, brings a wealth of hooping experience to his reporting. Despite contending with an ankle injury that curtailed his on-court endeavors, Dhruv remains at the forefront of his game, displaying an unparalleled understanding of basketball in every aspect as he draws inspiration from the legendary Kobe Bryant. Serving as a contributor to ES, Dhruv's journalistic focus extends to the lifestyle segment of basketball.

Edited by:

Shivatmika Manvi

Knicks Made $1 Billion Promise to LeBron James But He Rejected, Claims Stephen A. Smith

LeBron James’ move to the Miami Heat resurrected Smith’s career

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