“He’s not underappreciated, it’s just that more than scoring is what’s expected of him” - Stephen A. Smith doesn’t believe LeBron James is undervalued as a scorer
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith believes LeBron James' scoring ability isn't underappreciated. James recently passed Karl Malone to go second on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Despite bagging 36,947 points, the 37-year-old has never been given the tag of a "scorer" in his career.
James has expressed his frustration regarding the issue several times. While celebrating his latest milestone, he made a sarcastic mention about not being a scorer, as some claim, in his latest Instagram post.
The issue of James being underappreciated as a scorer has been debated heavily on NBA talk shows.
Smith said the LA Lakers superstar isn't underappreciated as a scorer. The difference, to Smith, is that James is expected to impact the game in multiple ways, with his scoring coming as a given.
“LeBron is a winner. When you’ve got four chips, when you go to eight straight NBA Finals, 10 over the course of your career, it’s not that it’s underappreciated. It's that it’s expected," said Smith on First Take.
"Think about it. When we talk about LeBron on a game-to-game basis, tell me one time that we show up and go like this, ‘I hope he scores 20 points.’ Who says that? We’re surprised if he doesn’t.
Smith continued:
"It’s the other things that come with his game: his passing ability, his decision-making, his leadership and ultimately wins. That’s why he’s not underappreciated. It’s just that more than scoring is what’s expected of him.”
James is the only player in the league to amass at least 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists. This record is a great testament to James' all-around ability. However, that has played a part in LeBron not being considered just a pure scorer throughout his career.
LeBron James has a legitimate shot at winning his second-career scoring title this year.
The LA Lakers' season has been dismal so far as they are tied for 10th in the Western Conference with a 30-41 record. LeBron James' MVP-caliber year in such difficult circumstances is their only bright spot this season. The 37-year-old is averaging 29.8 points per game.
Now the game's 2nd-highest scorer of all-time, @KingJames looks back on his very first bucket in the NBA 👑 https://t.co/02PZ34hruJ
James has his best scoring average since the 2007-08 season, when he averaged 30.0 ppg. LeBron's current tally sees him included in a three-way tie alongside Joel Embiid and giannis-antetokounmpo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Giannis Antetokounmpo. It looks like it will be a neck-and-neck competition between the three superstars as this is one of the closest scoring title battles seen in years.
James may just edge Giannis and Embiid because of how aggressive he has been on the scoring front for the Lakers with Anthony Davis sidelined. The four-time champion has already registered 31 30-point games this year. LeBron has also had two 50-point games recently.