On Tuesday, ESPN anchor Stephen A. Smith dismissed the Los Angeles Lakers’ chances of winning the NBA title this season, and he also declared that LeBron James has “won his last title.”
In the process, Smith picked the Golden State Warriors to represent the Western Conference in this season’s NBA Finals.
"I think LeBron has won his last title. I think it's over."
😳 @stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/7KGkERlMBM
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 16, 2021
“Warriors going to the Finals,” Smith said. “Let me say something else: I think LeBron has won his last title. I think it’s over. … It’s not LeBron’s fault. LeBron is gonna be LeBron. He gonna come back. He gonna do what he gonna do. … They ain’t winning no chip.”
It’s certainly a bold claim from Smith. Smith has been very high on Golden State throughout the early stages of the 2021-22 NBA campaign, and he clearly feels good enough about the Warriors to pick them over Lakers this season.
It’s still very early in the season, so some folks might find Smith’s take premature. Many Lakers fans still have faith in the team’s ability to iron out some of its early-season woes.
Getting James back on the floor should help the team in its quest to get things moving in the right direction. The superstar has missed a good chunk of time due to an ab injury, but there’s reportedly optimism that he could return on Friday.
James and the Lakers will certainly look to prove Smith wrong. L.A. has plenty of doubters, and the team would love to silence them. The organization is trying to win its second NBA title in a span of three seasons.
