Following the Darvin Ham dismissal, criticisms plague the LA Lakers fold. And LeBron James found himself at the receiving end of the potshots. Recently, Stephen A. Smith joined the bandwagon with his explosive monologue, thrashing the superstar along with Jeanie Buss. The NBA world saw Ham’s dismissal coming from a mile away. Eventually, the team showed him the back door despite his impressive playoff run in his two-season stay.

Speaking of the dismissal, Stephen A. Smith went into his rant mode. The veteran analyst addressed the exit of assistant coach Phil Handy and argued that it was an aftermath of the Darvin Ham fiasco. Handy moved to LA specifically on the advice of James as he coached him in Cleveland. Smith stated that Handy left the organization because “He wasn’t vibing with the narrative that it was a coaching problem. The players were being allowed to run the asylum.”

Following that, Smith went on to throw spades at LeBron James, accusing him of a lack of accountability. Moreover, he even made a strong case comparing him with Michael Jordan over standing up for their coach. The docu-series The Last Dance had a separate sequence where MJ threatens to leave the franchise if the Bulls fire Phil Jackson.

Pointing out that instance, Smith asked the NBA world whether LBJ has ever stood up for his coach. So far, James has played under 10 coaches in his 23-season-long career while MJ with only two. Speaking of that, Smith added, “How can you be on a Mount Rushmore of basketball and be completely innocent at the same time for every coach that gets let go under your watch? How is that possible?”

The ESPN analyst didn’t stop there. He carried the rant to the Lakers owner, Jeanie Buss. The 56-year-old took a massive shot at her, saying, “There is nothing more important to her than keeping LeBron James happy. Absolutely positively nothing.” 

Stephen A. Smith further predicted LeBron James’ future in the league

After making a strong claim on Jeanie Buss, A. Smith added the privileges that King James might receive from her. The 39-year-old superstar will enter player option in the 2024 off-season. Many reports claimed that James would leave the organization if Darvin Ham was not fired. On top of it, several rumors stated that he would move the franchise that drafts Bronny James.

However, the rumors went to the drain as soon as the Lakers dismissed Ham. Doubling it down, A. Smith said, “He gonna get his three-year extension, he gonna get his money… If he wants them to, they’ll grab Bronny no one else might.” He further went on to say that the Lakers might even rope in James Jr. for their G-League side, South Bay Lakers, without giving it a second thought.

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Notably, LeBron James hasn’t spoken about his future with the Lakers after the playoff exit. He even stressed the NBA world not to speculate about his future via post on his X handle. So the fans have to wait until the superstar makes his official statement regarding his 22nd season.