Ex-NBA Player Defends LeBron James’ Infamous Ad

“You guys are idiots,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick told reporters after the ad surfaced. “We all knew it was an ad, right? I’m sure I got some texts. I think most people that text me are also aware that it was probably an ad. Nobody was freaking out.”

Some appreciated the joke. Others, like Stephen A. Smith, didn’t think it was right. The outspoken host ranted about LeBron’s ad, which caused the ex-NBA veteran Nick Young to come to LeBron’s defense.

via @NickSwagyPYoung: Get out your feelings brotha Smith yall mad at a joke ..snoop did the same thing with the fake he quit smoking ad

What Did Stephen A. Smith Have to Say?

“One critic said it best when they said that if you make a bad movie, typically you don't have a sequel,” said Smith. “So if you look at the decision and the manner in which that was handled and the way it served to alienate folks back at that time, you would think that he wouldn't want to remind people of that, considering the heat he took from that. Unfortunately, he was tone deaf, and that's not the decision, that's not the path that he took. This was corny as hell. It was cringy. It was all of that, we know this.”

Smith used the Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan as an example to get his point across.

“Compare that to Jordan saying, you know, ‘I’m back.’ What if he had said, No, you know, I'm teasing you. And then it happened to be a Haynes commercial, you know? What if it had been something like that? And that's what this was the equivalent of.”

At the end of the day, the advertisement did its job. It has the targeted audience talking. While LeBron’s involvement in the “trickery” might not sit well with some (he’s getting sued, after all), Nick Young’s message presents a good point. It’s a joke. If it doesn’t land, it still shouldn’t be that big of a deal as there weren’t any lines crossed.

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