With Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James at odds since last season, this would have been the moment the ESPN analyst could tear into the Lakers forward. His elusive 10-point streak came to an end. On back-to-back nights, James had an offensive nightmare. But Smith didn’t do that. He saw beyond the broken record and looked at the Akron Hammer’s selfless actions.

He knew the streak was on the line. But what mattered most was getting a win. So LeBron James drew a defender and kicked it out, making the winning play. So, despite a horrid 4-17 shooting night, Smith feels the Lakers can function and maintain their stronghold in the West largely because of LeBron James’ mentality.

“Nobody was looking at him as some straight bona fide scorer like an MJ or Kobe,” Smith said on First Take. “He was

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