With another perpetual NBA season set to tip off Tuesday night, it gave ESPN’s First Take reason to broach one of the league’s freshest topics, LeBron James vs Michael Jordan.
Shannon Sharpe has long been on team LeBron from his six years as an adversary to Skip Bayless on Undisputed. Stephen A. Smith, however, is on team Jordan, much like his First Take predecessor. With Sharpe and Smith now together on First Take, it gives ESPN the opportunity to tantalize their audience with the LeBron vs Jordan debate. And there might not be a worse day to have that debate than opening night of the NBA season. Thankfully, Sharpe briefly saved the segment by offering a surprising impression of Smith.
It’s definitely a hook. Come to ESPN because you saw the words ‘LeBron’ and ‘Jordan,’ stay for Shannon Sharpe unveiling his epic Stephen A. Smith impression.
First Take’s first LeBron vs Jordan debate of the NBA season pic.twitter.com/omtuqctavS
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 24, 2023
No one will ever accuse Sharpe and Smith of sounding alike. But shortly after scolding Smith for not looking at him during their debate, Sharpe hilariously channeled the First Take host’s charisma, cadence and affinity for Jordan. “When other players say that Jordan is the GOAT,” Sharpe began.“You’re up here pounding the table like, ‘Ya heard what he said, did ya hear what he said? He’s got these championships, he’s got these MVPs! It’s fluid!’”
Unfortunately, Sharpe’s impression occurred around minute two of a 13-minute LeBron vs Jordan segment. The NBA season begins Tuesday night on TNT. Michael Jordan won’t be playing. ESPN has their first slate of games on Wednesday. Michael Jordan still won’t be playing. But sports debate shows can’t help themselves from weighing in on the LeBron vs Jordan debate.
If First Take wants to debate LeBron vs Jordan on a slow day over the summer, I get it. If they want to debate LeBron vs Jordan the morning after James sets another record or reaches a career milestone, I get that too. But do we really need to spend 13 minutes on LeBron vs Jordan hours before the NBA season tips off, hours before the first pitch is thrown in Game 7 of the NLCS, and the morning after Week 7 of the NFL concluded? It makes the show look tired and the league look boring.
