Shannon Sharpe forcefully claps back at claim that he’s been bought out to praise LeBron James

Former NFL star and current ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe responded to claims that he’s been bought out to praise Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

Sharpe posted on social media that he receives the same amount as others who speak highly of different players that have starred in the NBA.

One social media user pointed out a post from Sharpe back in 2012 when he stated that Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and Lakers legend Kobe Bryant were the greatest basketball players of all time.

Sharpe responded to the post, pointing out that James has accomplished a ton of things since he made that take, as James had not won an NBA title in his career at the time (his first came in the 2012 NBA Finals).

Sharpe’s take that Jordan and Bryant were better than James back in 2012 was certainly reasonable, as Bryant had five titles to his name and Jordan had six (at a perfect 6-0 on the NBA’s biggest stage).

Since the 2012 post by Sharpe, James has won four NBA titles (two with the Miami Heat, one with the Cleveland Cavaliers and one with the Lakers), become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and continued to rack up All-Star and All-NBA honors.

James currently has 20 All-Star selections, 19 All-NBA selections, four league MVP awards and four NBA Finals MVP awards on his resume.

There’s no doubt that he’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game, so it’s hard to fault Sharpe for praising him for his talents.

This season, James has shown that even at 39 years old, he’s one of the best players in the NBA.

The four-time champion is averaging 25.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from beyond the arc. The 3-point percentage is James’ highest of his legendary career.

He will look to add to his resume in the 2023-24 season, as he has the Lakers in position to compete for a playoff spot. The team made the Western Conference Finals last season.

James would love to add a fifth title to his career achievements to make the argument involving him, Jordan, Bryant and others even harder to debate.