LeBron James has a fan in Shannon Sharpe.
The First Take personality bleeds Lakers purple and gold. He nearly went to battle with the entire Memphis Grizzlies roster and once declared he’d “pour honey” on his GOAT, LeBron. But even Sharpe has his limits when it comes to defending James, and skipping Sunday’s All-Star Game due to ankle soreness was a bridge too far.
James waited until the day of the game to bow out, blocking someone like Norman Powell from getting an opportunity to participate. That decision didn’t just open the door for criticism from Draymond Green, Jalen Rose and Vince Carter — it also put him in Sharpe’s crosshairs.
“Sit out, now let Norman Powell get an All-Star Game selection,” Sharpe said. “Just like Giannis [Antetokounmpo]. Giannis knew he had a little slight injury; he pulled out. Now, Trae Young is a four-time All-Star selection. That’s the problem that I got. He earned the right, but he didn’t get in until Saturday. You know you’re not gonna play; why do you block somebody else from playing?”
“Obviously, they gonna still have him come; he’s still the biggest name in basketball,” Sharpe added. “Sure, they’re gonna love to have him come, let him walk, get introduced… Give him that. Let the fans see that. But bro, come on, man. I thought Norman didn’t deserve it; he earned the right to be there with the way he’s played in the first half of the season.
“I ain’t breaking news to the chat; y’all know I’m the biggest fan, LeBron’s biggest supporter. I’ve been that, but I wholeheartedly, extraneously disagree with the decision to make this announcement the day of the All-Star Game. He knew he wasn’t going to play. Y’all think LeBron just made this decision today? Really? Nobody thinks that.”
When his Nightcap cohost Chad Johnson tried to give LeBron a free pass because he’s LeBron, Sharpe pushed back.
“No, LeBron James is not bigger than the game of basketball,” Sharpe adamantly shot back. “He’s not. You talking about, ‘He’s earned the right.’ No, he hasn’t. I vehemently disagree… I’m not saying he doesn’t have that right; I’m saying he doesn’t have the right to do it Sunday — the day of the game. Make that decision on Thursday. Plus, the fact of the matter is, you leave Shaq’s team; now Shaq’s team only has seven players.”
Sharpe still couldn’t wrap his head around why James wouldn’t just do what Giannis did.
It felt like such an obvious move.
But it was a move that James couldn’t seem to bring himself to make, and it left everyone, Sharpe included, questioning why he chose to block someone else’s opportunity instead.
