“Hell Yeah It Was Luck”- Stephen a Smith Comments on Lebron James’s Winner Against the Warriors
The Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers faced off in the play-in tournament, where the Lakers came off on top with the help of a sensational basket from LeBron James. But not without a grueling battle, not with the Warriors but with Stephen Curry.
LeBron made a clutch three with 58 seconds left in the 4th quarter to put the Lakers ahead 103-100, and that sealed the fate of the game as the Warriors, even after calling a timeout, could not make an inbound play.
Nobody saw LeBron’s 30-foot jumper from way beyond the 3point line, but he took the shot and sunk it too. Now Stephen A. Smith, on the episode of First Take, said “Hell Yeah” when asked if LeBron’s final shot was lucky or not.
And I don’t know about how lucky LeBron was, but I definitely wouldn’t say it was all luck. Though LeBron wasn’t a great 3point shooter when he came into the league, he has since worked on his outside shot to make it a weapon in the game. LeBron James has extended his range to the mid-court logo as well, taking jumpers after merely stepping into the frontcourt.
So, I would have to disagree with Smith on this one. After reviewing the shot multiple times, from different angles, it was evident that he had the time to move his hand for the ball back, squared up his feet under him, and held his follow-through while sinking the clutch three. LeBron has developed into quite a 3point threat over the years to leave him alone behind the arc.
And Smith went onto say, ‘lucky things happen for great players.’ Now the audacity of Smith to utter such a statement is downright foolish. It is like saying, ‘Jordan got lucky 3peating twice.’ Statements like these can only make you shrug your head in disbelief. In case Smith forgets, great things happen for great players because they put in the work and time to reach that level of greatness. Jordan did not win 6 rings just out of sheer luck. He put in the time, sweat, and energy in the gym, mastering his moves constantly. Kobe was so great because of his work ethic, and LeBron, too, is a part of that greatness with the amount of work he puts in the gym to keep his body in shape to dominate on the court.
At 36, LeBron has no plans to slow down, and the people waiting for LeBron James to enter ‘Father Time,’ I would suggest not holding your breath over it. For the past decade and a half, LeBron has been the face of the league due to the plays he makes on the court, his passing vision, his chase-down blocks, and his ferocious dunks. And to say that LeBron got lucky with that final shot is only disrespecting ‘The King’ and his legacy.
Stephen A. Smith has a loud personality and is known for making wild claims now and then. Don’t get me wrong, he is a good analyst that makes excellent reads of the game, but this statement was a little “Whack!!!”
