During the NBA season, LeBron James and JJ Redick launched their basketball-focused podcast, “Mind the Game,” igniting enthusiasm among basketball aficionados.
The podcast presented a platform for Redick to delve into the technical aspects of basketball, an area he is particularly passionate about but often overlooked in typical sports debate shows.
For LeBron, this venture appeared to be another strategic move in broadening his post-NBA career pursuits. However, Stephen A. Smith raised concerns on ESPN’s “First Take” about the potential implications of their timing, suggesting it may have indirectly undermined Lakers coach Darvin Ham.
Smith expressed his discomfort with the decision to initiate the podcast while the season was still in full swing, particularly at a time when Ham was facing considerable scrutiny over his coaching position with the Lakers. “JJ is a different situation because of the situation LeBron James and his camp created by doing that podcast in the middle of the season knowing that Darvin Ham was on the hot seat,” Smith remarked. He clarified that his critique was not about the podcast’s content but rather its timing, which he described as “a very egregious thing to do.”
The commentator articulated that the podcast would have been more appropriately launched after the Lakers’ season had concluded, especially given the precarious position of Coach Ham at the time.
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Smith passionately argued, “LeBron James is his own man. You’re wearing the Lakers uniform, you are a player, you know your coach is on the hot seat. And deciding to do a podcast about games, about basketball with specifics in mind, schemes, and how you coach…while your coach is on the hot seat and you knew the Lakers would more than likely be looking for a coach the next season, is one of the most egregious things we have seen a basketball player do to a coach, that is a fact.”
Further complicating the narrative, Smith later emphasized the discontent this podcast has stirred among other coaches, particularly Black coaches, whom he claims have reached out to him personally to express their concerns. “Numerous coaches, Black coaches called me expressing how they took issue with that podcast taking place,” he revealed in another segment on “First Take.”
Smith speculated on why he focused his criticism on LeBron rather than Redick, noting that Redick is currently his colleague at ESPN.
He also hinted at the possibility of Redick transitioning to a coaching role with the Lakers in the future, a move that LeBron could influence given his substantial sway within the organization.
Smith found it peculiar to suggest that LeBron would need to leverage a podcast to either undermine Ham or promote Redick’s qualifications, highlighting the complexity and sensitivity surrounding the situation.
