Once again, Stephen A. Smith has dropped his LeBron forecast with a predictable asterisk. The ESPN commentator sparked an intense debate on First Take after making a definitive prediction regarding LeBron James’ championship aspirations with the Philadelphia 76ers. Reacting to the 41-year-old superstar’s historic offseason move to Philadelphia on a two-year, $8 million deal, Smith declared that James will claim his fifth ring alongside Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey. But that generous prediction came with a stern reality check regarding the all-time conversation.
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During a rare live studio audience broadcast of First Take, SAS highlighted Philadelphia’s explosive roster depth as the primary reason James will add another notch to his resume before his career concludes.
“Let me say this about LeBron in Philadelphia,” Smith began. “LeBron James—this man could win. I think that LeBron James is going to win a fifth NBA championship. I think within the next two years, these two years that he’s committed to Philadelphia with Jaylen Brown, a 28-point-per-game scorer who’s a former NBA champion and Finals MVP—he’s a stud. Tyrese Maxey is that dude. I definitely believe that within this season or next season, the Philadelphia 76ers are going to win LeBron James’s fifth NBA championship.”
It’s worth noting that a significant chunk of the audience booed down that prediction. But what came next made them louder.
Smith immediately pivoted from his glowing prediction to issue a sharp reminder regarding James’ standing in the same conversation as 6x NBA champion, Michael Jordan.
“That’s the good news. Here’s the bad: It still ain’t six, baby. It still ain’t six,” Smith stated, drawing loud boos from the live studio audience both for predicting a 76ers title and for placing James second. “This man is the second greatest player of all time. He is not the GOAT. He is the second greatest player of all time, okay? Number two behind a six-time champion, a 10-time scoring champion, a nine-time All-NBA first-team defensive player, the greatest closer in NBA history, who is Michael Jeffrey Jordan. Don’t let Big Perk lie to you.”
Across the table, Kendrick Perkins was shaking his head, rolling his eyes, hunching over, basically showing through his body language he disagreed. Smith directly addressed Perk, in a demand to younger fans who look at stats instead of history.
“Go back, you young whippersnappers, and watch the tapes. You’ll see it for yourself, you understand?” Smith continued. “LeBron is great, and I think he’s going to win within the next two years. This year, next season, they going to win it all. And he’ll get five. He’ll eclipse Steph Curry. He’ll tie Kobe. He’ll tie Tim Duncan. But it’ll still be one short. MJ, that’s all I got to say… That’s a fact.”
Perkins immediately challenged Smith’s perspective, claiming the analyst was harboring hidden motives. “See, Stephen A. is sitting up here lying to y’all,” Perkins fired back. “Because here’s the thing: in his heart, he really don’t want LeBron James to win a fifth championship.”
The argument over who is more right escalated to the point Shae Cornette got off her chair and left the live broadcast. But SAS and Perk kept up their argument over the closing chapter of LeBron’s career.
James shocked the NBA landscape this past summer when he opted to leave the Lakers and sign a discounted two-year deal with Philadelphia, passing up potential reunions in Cleveland and Miami to join a ready-made contender. Explaining his decision, James emphasized that his primary motivation at this stage of his career is purely competitive.
“I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice… I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”
On paper, Philadelphia presents one of the most formidable cores in the Eastern Conference. Alongside 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid, who remains an interior force when healthy, the 76ers feature newly acquired prime Jaylen Brown, electric guard Tyrese Maxey, who averaged 28.3 points and 6.6 assists per game last season, and the young powerhouse in VJ Edgecombe.
Charles Barkley stirred the pot by claiming LeBron could make a GOAT case if he won a fifth chip in Philly. Back then too, Smith pushed back on Chuck’s opinion.
While Perkins argued during the broadcast that winning a fifth ring across four different franchises, a feat unmatched in professional sports history, would officially close the GOAT debate in James’ favor, Smith maintained that matching Jordan’s six rings remains the mandatory threshold.
As the 2026–27 season approaches, all eyes will be on Philadelphia to see if King James can unify a star-studded locker room and deliver the 76ers their first NBA championship since 1983.