"He was considered a choke job" - Stephen A. Smith asserts LeBron James owes his championship pedigree to Dwyane Wade
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith made an interesting comment about LeBron James missing Dwyane Wade's Hall of Fame induction a few days ago.
The four-time NBA champion and all-time scoring leader was not present when his best friend got inducted into the Hall of Fame, and Smith didn't mince his words when he addressed the matter.
According to Smith, LeBron James should have been in attendance at the induction, not only because they are best friends, but because Wade was the one who helped James become an NBA champion.
"To me, the last person that should have missed Dwyane Wade’s induction into the Hall of Fame is LeBron James," Smith said on his podcast. "Here’s why. LeBron James, one can easily argue, wouldn’t even know what it’s like to be a champion if it wasn’t for Dwyane Wade. Somebody’s got to say it, so I’m gonna say it.
"We all know that LeBron James – I got him No. 2 all time. I understand it’s offensive to his camp, but they’ll get over it. – I’m of the mindset that LeBron James owes his championship pedigree to Dwyane Wade."
Stephen A. Smith explains how Dwyane Wade helped LeBron James become a champion
Stephen A. Smith didn't stop his criticism over LeBron there. He even recalled James' days in Miami and especially his first year with the Heat, when LeBron struggled mentally as he was trying to prove doubters wrong about his move to Florida.
"It was Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James in Miami," Smith said. "Go back to LeBron's first year in Miami. I am not talking anything regarding his talent, because he was all-world. I am talking about his mindset. He looked scared – not saying he was scared, but he looked scared.
"He averaged 17 points in the series versus Dallas, way below his average. He wasn't himself, he was considered a choke job."
Wade and James spent four years together with the Miami Heat and made it to four straight NBA Finals (2011-2014). They lost to the Dallas Mavericks (2011) and San Antonio Spurs (2014) and defeated the OKC Thunder (2012) and the Spurs (2013) in consecutive seasons.
Wade was already a champion (2006 against the Mavs), while LeBron went on to claim another two titles with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2016) and LA Lakers (2020).
"Dwyane Wade and the Heat were protective of LeBron," Smith said. "They sealed him and helped James grow as a player and a person and establish a winning culture."
Overall, the NBA analyst's point is that James wouldn't become who he is now without Dwyane Wade, and he owes his best friend the championship pedigree and mentality he earned during his days in Florida.
LeBron, one of the greatest players to ever play basketball, made nine NBA Finals appearances between 2010 and 2020 (2011-2018, 2020) and won the title four times. Now in his 21st NBA season, he has his sights set on another title run as he is chasing his fifth championship.