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Stephen A. Smith had Shaquille O’Neal on his show to talk about Dunkman, the alternative league to bring back a spectacle that the All-Star Game has lost touch with. So he took the chance to take aim at LeBron James for causing it. While acknowledging James’ legendary status as he enters his 24th NBA season, Smith firmly laid the blame on the superstar forward for single-handedly destroying the prestige of the NBA All-Star Weekend’s Slam Dunk Contest.
Smith argued that prior generations of icons set an expectation to entertain the fans on Saturday night, a culture he believes James dismantled by refusing to participate.
“Listen, I gave a lot of respect. And I’ve said this on many occasions, LeBron, when it’s all said and done, we pay tribute to him and his greatness that spans more than 23 years, 24 years coming up, etc., etc.,” Smith declared. “But the one thing I’ve religiously held against him is his unwillingness to compete in All-Star weekend because, to me, all the stars always did it.
“Kobe [Bryant] included, Vince Carter included, everybody. They all did it until he refused to enter the dunk contest. And then after that, every other stars followed and they wouldn’t compete. Am I wrong about that?”
He probably expected Shaquille O’Neal, who never participated in the Dunk Contest himself, to agree. But Shaq offered a minor defense for James.
“I heard your rant, and I 97% agree with you. The 3%… yes. The 3% I’m going to give LeBron. When you are the star of the team, All-Star weekend is a little bit of a weekend to rest,” O’Neal explained, noting the heavy workload placed on team leaders during the midseason break.
In the past, the NBA Hall of Famer has criticized superstars for skipping the Saturday event. But he doesn’t solely blame it on LeBron James. Shaq’s also someone who’s repeatedly spoken about the exhaustion of the regular season and All-Star Weekend. So he gives Bron that grace. Pushing back against O’Neal’s concession to Bron, Smith emphasized the historical precedent again.
“Just once. Just once,” Smith emphasized. “Kobe did it once. I mean, Michael Jordan did it two, three times, Dominique Wilkins did. I mean, was there a bigger star than Michael Jordan? He competed in it.”
O’Neal agreed, “and that’s why I say kudos to Michael Jordan and Dominique and all those legends that competed that were not afraid to compete.”
Despite their similar beliefs, Shaq and Smith both agree that star participation has evolved across generations. In previous decades, the league’s marquee talents Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Kobe Bryant, and Vince Carter routinely headlined Saturday night festivities, and made the Dunk Contest into a cultural staple.
Smith has frequently voiced this criticism on ESPN’s First Take, pointing out how the star-studded era of Jordan, Wilkins, Bryant, and Carter gave way to an event that has relied heavily on G League players like Mac McClung to provide excitement.
The decline of superstar participation in traditional All-Star events has even inspired O’Neal to take matters into his own hands. Launching his new professional Dunkman league featuring 24 elite global dunkers, O’Neal aims to restore the high-flying spectacle that was once a staple of NBA All-Star Saturday night.
However, as Smith continues to point out, the absence of generational stars like James participating on the league’s biggest weekend remains a glaring shift in All-Star culture.
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Smith argued that prior generations of icons set an expectation to entertain the fans on Saturday night, a culture he believes James dismantled by refusing to participate.
“Listen, I gave a lot of respect. And I’ve said this on many occasions, LeBron, when it’s all said and done, we pay tribute to him and his greatness that spans more than 23 years, 24 years coming up, etc., etc.,” Smith declared. “But the one thing I’ve religiously held against him is his unwillingness to compete in All-Star weekend because, to me, all the stars always did it.
“Kobe [Bryant] included, Vince Carter included, everybody. They all did it until he refused to enter the dunk contest. And then after that, every other stars followed and they wouldn’t compete. Am I wrong about that?”
He probably expected Shaquille O’Neal, who never participated in the Dunk Contest himself, to agree. But Shaq offered a minor defense for James.
“I heard your rant, and I 97% agree with you. The 3%… yes. The 3% I’m going to give LeBron. When you are the star of the team, All-Star weekend is a little bit of a weekend to rest,” O’Neal explained, noting the heavy workload placed on team leaders during the midseason break.
In the past, the NBA Hall of Famer has criticized superstars for skipping the Saturday event. But he doesn’t solely blame it on LeBron James. Shaq’s also someone who’s repeatedly spoken about the exhaustion of the regular season and All-Star Weekend. So he gives Bron that grace. Pushing back against O’Neal’s concession to Bron, Smith emphasized the historical precedent again.
“Just once. Just once,” Smith emphasized. “Kobe did it once. I mean, Michael Jordan did it two, three times, Dominique Wilkins did. I mean, was there a bigger star than Michael Jordan? He competed in it.”
O’Neal agreed, “and that’s why I say kudos to Michael Jordan and Dominique and all those legends that competed that were not afraid to compete.”
Despite their similar beliefs, Shaq and Smith both agree that star participation has evolved across generations. In previous decades, the league’s marquee talents Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Kobe Bryant, and Vince Carter routinely headlined Saturday night festivities, and made the Dunk Contest into a cultural staple.
Smith has frequently voiced this criticism on ESPN’s First Take, pointing out how the star-studded era of Jordan, Wilkins, Bryant, and Carter gave way to an event that has relied heavily on G League players like Mac McClung to provide excitement.
The decline of superstar participation in traditional All-Star events has even inspired O’Neal to take matters into his own hands. Launching his new professional Dunkman league featuring 24 elite global dunkers, O’Neal aims to restore the high-flying spectacle that was once a staple of NBA All-Star Saturday night.
However, as Smith continues to point out, the absence of generational stars like James participating on the league’s biggest weekend remains a glaring shift in All-Star culture.
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The post Stephen A. Smith Blames LeBron James for Ending What Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant Built in All-Star Weekends appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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