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Stephen A. Smith disagrees with Draymond Green on LeBron James leverage take appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
ESPN analyst Stephen A Smith clapped back at Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green’s take on LeBron James amid the future Hall of Fame forward’s free agency. Green discussed James’ legacy amidst his free agency, and complained about NBA commissioner Adam Silver setting a bad example for young players entering the league, when he revealed the release of the 2026-27 regular-season schedule is on hold.
Smith disagreed with Green’s take on Silver amid James’ high-profiled decision, per The Stephen A Smith Show.
“I respectfully disagree with Draymond Green and what he just said there because his thought was incomplete,” Smith said. “He says if I’m a player, I’m thinking we have leverage, no you don’t LeBron James has leverage. A Steph Curry has leverage. If you’re a player, you shouldn’t be thinking we have leverage, you should be thinking I have to be that special in order to have leverage — that’s the difference.
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“Maybe that’s what Draymond Green meant, but he didn’t articulate it that way. I don’t know. But player, collectively, no you don’t have the leverage — you don’t.”
Smith believes players of LeBron’s caliber earn that power as part of a very small group of elite players.
“Superstars do, which is why you should aspire to be a superstar,” Smith added. “When we talk about greatness. And we talk about greatness of a level of the LeBron James. The greatness of the level of a Steph Curry, what we should never hesitate to do is talk about what makes them so great. When it’s all said and done, and you reflect back upon the career of LeBron James, what all of us are going to have to stand down is being the marquee is something he not only lived up to, he embraced. Everybody don’t want that.”
Stephen A Smith responded to how Draymond Green believes LeBron James is setting a bad example.
“Adam saying that is not going to speed up us decision at all,” Green said. “If I know Bron well, if anything, it’s may slow his decision down a little more, because that’s just how Bron is. But what I will say about this is, for young players to hear Adam Silver say we need him to finish. We need to make the schedule. If I’m a young player, I’m thinking, man, we have leverage, what can we do with that leverage? Hey, NBA Players Association, there’s leverage. What can you do with the leverage?
“That statement, to me, says far more than ‘Hey, LeBron, make your decision.’ That statement to me is deep. I am expecting decisions sooner rather than later. But, trust me, that definitely didn’t speed it up.”
For Stephen A Smith, James has earned hoopla surrounding his free agency, for being the future Hall of Fame forward he’s been as one of the most accomplished and distinguised NBA players of his generation.
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