The tension between ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and Los Angeles Lakers legend LeBron James has been heating up lately. However, following the Lakers’ disappointing 117-95 blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the playoffs, Smith turned his attention elsewhere.
This time, it was his fellow analyst Shannon Sharpe who was in Smith’s crosshairs. Smith didn’t hold back on social media. He took to his X account shortly after the Lakers’ defeat and shared a message that someone had apparently urged him to pass on.
“Someone just text me with this message to send DIRECTLY to @ShannonSharpe: Triple-A….NWA…..I Don’t Care what Shannon has to say = Lakers AIN’T winning in 5,” Smith posted.
Someone just text me with this message to send DIRECTLY to @ShannonSharpe: Triple-A….NWA…..I Don’t Care what Shannon has to say = Lakers AIN’T winning in 5😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) April 20, 2025
The Los Angeles Lakers now find themselves trailing 0-1 in their playoff series after Saturday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. While many anticipated the defeat, given that the Lakers weren’t competitive during the game, the loss still stung, especially with the expectations surrounding the team.
Even Lakers legend Magic Johnson weighed in. After the loss, he offered a critical assessment of the team’s performance.
“Coach JJ Redick did a great job all season but he didn’t do a good job for Game 1. The Lakers stood around on offense, played too much one-on-one basketball, and he didn’t make any necessary adjustments,” Johnson wrote on X.
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What Did Shannon Sharpe Say To Spark Stephen A. Smith’s Criticism?
The jab of Stephen A. Smith was a direct counter to Shannon Sharpe’s bold pre-playoff prediction. Just days earlier, Sharpe had confidently declared that the Lakers would move past their first-round opponents with ease so long as Luka Doncic maintained his current level of play.
“When Luka’s playing like that. It doesn’t matter. Lakers in Five!” Sharpe said on “First Take.”
While Doncic did show up, dropping 37 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and snatching two steals. But it wasn’t enough to overpower the collective efforts of Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Naz Reid.
