LeBron James won’t win another championship, top NBA analyst says
James has been dealing with injuries this season
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Stephen A. Smith, the outspoken ESPN star, made a bold prediction on Tuesday, saying LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers great, will likely not win another championship.
"I think it’s over," Smith said.
Mediaite pointed out that Smith made the comments on Tuesday morning during ESPN’s "First Take."
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Smith said James, who is 36, will still be formidable and the Los Angeles Lakers —despite a slow start — will be a force this year. But they will be no match for the juggernaut Golden State Warriors. He said he believes the Lakers will be able to dispatch any team but the Warriors.
LeBron James seen earlier this month at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) (Getty)
James, a four-time champion, is still considered to be one of the best players in the league. But he has been plagued by injuries this year and has only played in six games. His most recent issue was an abdominal strain, CBS Sports reported. The report pointed out that James could be back in action in a few days.
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Smith is never shy to speak his mind and made headlines earlier this month when he called Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers quarterback, a liar when it came to his vaccination status.
"Aaron Rodgers is a liar. Period," Smith said during the program.
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"He through his teeth with a smirk on his face regarding a matter that is very, very serious. OK, you lied about that so what else did you lie about? Lied about [Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst]? Lied about what was going on about the Green Bay Packers? What else have you been lying about? Because you did it with such ease, such fluidity. It was just very, very impressive and it was slick as hell."
The revelation that Rodgers never got vaccinated for COVID-19 came after he tested positive on Nov. 3. Rodgers said during a Nov. 5 appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" that teammates, Packers officials and league officials knew he was unvaccinated. But when he was asked in an Aug. 26 news conference whether he was vaccinated, Rodgers had replied, "Yeah, I’m immunized."
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Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and the Associated Press contributed to this report