You could dedicate a whole tabloid to the problems with NBA’s media today. Fabrication, hypothesizing, disrespect, unnecessary noise – that’s just a few things the players feel about it. But no one, genuinely no one has, had spats the way LeBron James has had. That just feels like the price to pay for being the head of the table. However, the whole landscape of NBA media could change for the better. How? Well, we got Prime Video’s mouthwatering panel to thank for that.

James’ interview with The Hollywood Reporter was box-office. From talks of giving Savannah the reigns for their Amazon shopping list to modelling for Hollywood, we really got to know a lot about ‘The King’. But what stood out most was his takes on the state of the Association’s media today. Their biggest problem till now has arguably been the panellists, with the concerning aspect lying in their actual knowledge of the sport. And when Bron let loose on his thoughts…well, let’s just say that it would’ve turned a few ESPN heads.

First of all, when I thought of the (analyst) lineup that they chose — legends like Dwayne Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Candice Parker — [Prime Video] is going to automatically be put in a position of great things. [With them, Prime Video] has so much knowledge and [so many] people that know the game and appreciate the game and talk about the game in such a positive manner. So, I think Amazon Prime Video, they’re gonna do a great job showcasing our sport; [the talent] love(s) our sport. Great intellect, great commentary, great insight — I really look forward to that,” said James to the media house.

You see where his focus is, right? Just give it a look, and ask yourself this: What’s the key difference between their panellists, and from someone like ESPN? The answer lies in every Association players’ cries for help. Prime’s gone and brought in legends from the sport, speaking their mind. Wade, Nowitzki, Nash, Parker – these names ooze class. And that’s the tell-all factor that might revolutionize the way the NBA is covered.

You do know the culprit is, right? You can’t mention LeBron James without Stephen A. Smith anymore. Their battle is something straight out of the history books. For a while there, SAS was public enemy number 1. But after his recent comments, that position is unlikely to change for the foreseeable future.

Stephen A. Smith “doesn’t care” about making LeBron James happy

SAS is like the random number generator of the media. You just never know what you might end up getting. One day, it might be full of breathtaking analytics that’s enough to put the rest of the industry to shame. But the rest of the days? Well, some things are best left unsaid. That’s clearly not his mantra, as SAS just went and added more sizzle to his beef with the Lakers star. And let’s just say that it’s speculative at best.

“Over the course of his [LeBron James] 22 years in this league, and the stories that I’ve had to cover about him, about his teams, decisions that he’s influenced his teams to make, trades, coaching firings, etc., etc. — all of which he’s played a role in. I’ve had to cover things that have not made him very happy, and I don’t care,” said SAS to Rolling Stone.

We finally got a verdict on Smith’s take on this all. The (arguable) GOAT of NBA media vs the GOAT of the NBA – it doesn’t get anymore box office than this. But guess what? It does! “I don’t like him, and he don’t like me. … When he does great, I’m gonna applaud. When he doesn’t do great, I’m not gonna applaud. He hid behind his son [Los Angeles Laker Bronny James], tried to make something out of nothing, as if I was dogging his son, which I was not. The real issue was we don’t like each other. And he used that as an excuse to confront me. I got it,” Smith explained.

Now, we don’t need to go in-depth about what happened at Crypto.com Arena, because none of us are forgetting that little clip anytime soon. Or everything that happened after—from Stephen A. addressing it on pretty much every platform he was in to Bron straight up throwing shades on select platforms he was in (even his IG story).

But if you see this from Smith’s perspective, he’s just doing his job – whether people are happy or sad about it is all arbitrary. And rightfully so. To be honest, the roads collide when it comes to covering the NBA as ESPN. None of the players seem to appreciate their takes. But well, SAS just “doesn’t care”.