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Stephen A. Smith crushes Brooklyn Nets stars for sitting games, says only LeBron James has earned time off
- Updated: April 15, 2021

Both the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets have had their superstars miss significant time this season.
According to ESPN personality Stephen A Smith, only LeBron James has earned the right to miss games.
I swear…..I’m so sick of this S$$$! How many times are the fans gonna get screwed? Thank God for @KingJames! He’s the ONLY player who’s EARNED time off. Damn! pic.twitter.com/3Pgxg99vWh
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) April 14, 2021
James has been out for the last few weeks due to a severely sprained ankle. His first mate, Anthony Davis, has missed the past two months with a calf strain and Achilles tendonosis.
The reasons for James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving missing games have been more nebulous, though.
Durant missed considerable time with a hamstring strain, leading some to speculate why he was out so long. Harden is currently out with a hamstring strain of his own.
Irving, however, has missed some games due to personal reasons.
Many around the basketball world are picking the Lakers and Nets to meet in the NBA Finals this summer.
The truth is, if either team lacks enough time together as a full team to get things clicking before the start of the playoffs, it could prevent a championship series appearance altogether.