Stephen A. Smith didn't hold back when he questioned why NBA superstar LeBron James missed former teammate Dwyane Wade's Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is not shy when it comes to giving his opinions on the NBA, and that includes LeBron James.
So when it came to the shocking incident of James not being in attendance for the Hall of Fame induction of his former teammate Dwyane Wade, whom James won two championships with while a member of the Miami Heat, Smith brought it up on his podcast "The Stephen A. Smith Show."
Smith didn't hold back when talking about James missing Wade's ceremony and brought up how James was in attendance for Chris Bosh's induction a few years ago and was also in attendance for the late Kobe Bryant's funeral.
"To me, the last person that should have missed Dwyane Wade's induction into the Hall of Fame is LeBron James. 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," Smith said. "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."
Naturally, this warranted a reaction on Twitter from fans of LeBron James and those who disagreed with Smith.
Stephen A. Smith says Dwyane Wade is responsible for LeBron James' championship pedigree
It sounds out of bounds to some, but it's not a take that's so rude it warrants a big controversy. In fairness, there is some truth to what Smith says. Look at 2011.
LeBron, in the NBA Finals against Dallas, looked afraid of the moment. Games 4, 5, and 6 tell the whole story. At the same time, one can argue that James was under so much scrutiny due to the mess he made with "The Decision".
James and the Heat ultimately rebounded, winning against the Thunder in the 2012 Finals and then splitting the 2013 and 2014 Finals with the Spurs. Again, though, the argument could be made that Wade had much to do with helping James get over that hurdle.
It's a shame that James was not in attendance for Wade's Hall of Fame induction, but it's not a crime. It's merely a shame that James wasn't there, especially given what they achieved together and the heights they reached in South Beach.