"I was shocked": Stephen A. Smith was stunned LeBron James missed Dwyane Wade's HOF induction ceremony
Dwyane Wade was beside LeBron James when the “Chosen One” won his first NBA championship with the Miami Heat in 2012. The four-time MVP, however, was absent when “The Flash” was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 10 days ago.
Stephen A. Smith had this to say about not seeing the current LA Lakers superstar who was there when Chris Bosh became a Hall of Famer:
“LeBron James skipped Dwyane Wade’s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. … I was shocked, of all people, that LeBron was not there.
“To me, the last person who should have missed Wade’s induction into the Hall of Fame was LeBron James. LeBron James, one could easily argue, wouldn’t even know what it’s like to be a champion had it not been for Dwyane Wade."
Smith added:
“Somebody needs to say it so I’m going to say it. … LeBron James owes his championship pedigree to Dwyane Wade.”
"The Flash" was a big reason why James left the Cleveland Cavaliers and took his talents to South Beach. Even with Wade and Chris Bosh by his side, James couldn’t promptly attain the success many thought he would accomplish with a star-studded roster.
It wasn’t until 2012 that “King James” eventually got the monkey off his back. He did so with plenty of sacrifice from Wade. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has said from time to time that the “Heatles’” would not have been successful if not for Wade’s willingness to play second fiddle.
For Stephen A. Smith James’ reliance on Wade wasn’t just on the basketball court. “King James” badly needed the support of D-Wade when he still couldn’t live up to his and the fans’ expectations.
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“Go back to LeBron’s first year in Miami. I’m not talking about anything regarding his talent. … I’m talking about up here. He was warped. He looked scared.
"That season before those championships, I don’t think he did any interviews without Dwyane Wade by his side. There was such vitriol being thrown at his direction and his mind was so warped that the Miami Heat, specifically his big brother Dwyane Wade were protective of him. They did everything they could to shield him."
LeBron James deserves a pass if he missed Dwyane Wade’s Hall of Fame induction due to family matters
As glaring as LeBron James’ absence was in Wade’s Hall of Fame induction, Stephen A. Smith will give him a pass for one reason:
“I wanna make sure that I’m crystal clear. Bronny James, LeBron’s 19-year-old son, who is scheduled to attend USC this fall, collapsed and suffered cardiac arrest weeks ago at USC.
"No matter what I ask, no matter what I question, I wanna make sure everybody understands everything goes out the window if LeBron James didn’t attend ‘cause he wanted to stay at home with his kid and he didn’t leave town because of that.”
Smith added he’s not questioning the relationship between the two and believes that Wade will not have been offended as James will have his reason. For him, it was still noteworthy how the face of the NBA and one of Wade’s closest friends wasn’t there to attend the special ceremony.