Stephen A. Smith shocked to find out Shannon Sharpe left his ‘best player’ LeBron James out of top 5

Modified at 18:45 GMT on October 17, 2023

Stephen A. Smith is shocked at Shannon Sharpe, who left his “top” pick, LeBron James, off his top 5 list. Sharp has been on James’ side for as long as anyone can remember. However, the NFL Hall of Famer didn’t put his relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers superstar out of the equation when it came to selecting the 10 best players for the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season.

Smith, on the other hand, believes James is the second-best player in history, behind only Michael Jordan, while LeBron ranks fifth. Both of these choices have proven to be surprising, and many thought they should be the opposite choices. Smith couldn’t help but express his shock when he saw Sharp’s roster and where he placed LeBron.

“Hold on, I can’t breathe,” Smith said on “First Take.” “You don’t have LeBron James in your top five? You don’t have ‘GOAT James’ in your top five? You, Shannon Sharpe? Are you okay? I can’t believe it.”

Sharp was quick to explain why he ranked his favorite basketball players outside of his top five. He noted that James’ injury issues over the past three years led him to rank the four-time MVP at No. 7.

“I have to get him to play 65 games. I have to do it. I haven’t been able to do that the last few years. You can’t keep asking me to play 55 games. I need more. I demand more. “

Shannon Sharpe’s assessment of where LeBron James ranks based on his availability isn’t too far off. This is an important criterion for top NBA players. If some players aren’t reliable enough, their value drops dramatically, so this seems like a fair decision.

See what Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe’s roster thinks of LeBron James

Stephen A. Smith places LeBron James right in the middle of his top 10 list at No. 5. ESPN analysts believe Nikola Jokic is the best player, followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo in second, Stephen Curry in third, and Joel Embiid close behind. Fourth place. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Davis also rounded out the top ten.

Shannon Sharpe’s top two players also include Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, with the former ranked No. 1. The following list differs from most of Smith’s. In this order: Embiid, Doncic, Curry, Tatum, LeBron, Durant, Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Davis. These players have become consensus top-10 prospects this season.

The addition of LeBron James continues to prove his greatness. He is one of those players who has played 20-plus seasons and is among the best players in the league at this point in his career. “King James” continues to deliver the numbers needed to maintain its top spot. He averaged 30.3 points per game in the 2021-22 season and averaged 28.3 points per game last season.