Shannon Sharpe-Kwame Brown feud, defined: How LeBron James suits into beef between Fox Sports activities analyst, ex-NBA participant

LeBron James’ season could also be over following a sweep of the Lakers by the Nuggets within the Western Convention Finals, however he’s nonetheless the topic of a number of NBA offseason storylines and debates.

Among the many most vitriolic of them is the feud between Fox Sports activities analyst and Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer Shannon Sharpe — a good friend and supporter of LeBron — and Kwame Brown, the primary total choice within the 2001 NBA Draft. The 2 have traded barbs since Brown criticized James’ play in Sport 4 of LA’s sequence loss vs. Denver.

Sharpe was fast to defend James towards Brown’s critiques, saying Brown was in no place to make such claims due to his standing as one of many largest NBA Draft busts of all time. Whether or not Brown’s arguments lose benefit due to that’s up for debate, nevertheless it has been a major level of competition between the 2 nonetheless.

Here is every part it’s good to find out about Sharpe and Brown’s beef:

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Shannon Sharpe-Kwame Brown feud, defined

Sharpe and Brown’s back-and-forth started Wednesday after Brown posted on social media a seven-minute rant railing towards James for his efficiency towards the Nuggets, even after he practically averaged a triple-double with 27.8 factors, 9.5 rebounds and 10 assists per recreation within the sequence. (Warning: Express language used.)

Brown characterised James as a stat sheet-stuffer and repeatedly criticized his incapability to get a possible game-winning shot off within the waning moments of Sport 4. He claimed former gamers Richard Hamilton and Gilbert Arenas would have gotten a shot off in that state of affairs, and added that Kobe Bryant would have made the shot to win the sport for the Lakers.

“I’ve by no means seen a man of your caliber, supposed caliber, you don’t even get a shot off?” Brown mentioned, addressing James. “You’re most likely the perfect scorer within the recreation, you bought all these factors. However you had been in search of a bailout (foul name from the officers) once more.

“You may’t say that you just’re nice. You have to do nice issues. That’s the place greatness lies,” Brown mentioned.

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Sharpe responded Thursday on FS1’s “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed,” arguing Brown’s argument is invalid as a result of he’s a bust. Brown averaged 6.6 factors, 5.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists per recreation over his 12-year profession.

“Skip, he mentioned, ‘You are speculated to be nice.’ Actually?” Sharpe mentioned. “Kwame, of all of the folks — he ought to by no means, ever query anyone’s greatness. As a result of that is what we all know: If there is a Mount Rushmore for busts within the NBA historical past, whether or not he is the primary head, the second head, the third or the fourth, he is on Mount Rushmore of bust NBA gamers.”

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Brown himself acknowledged within the preliminary video that he was a bust and that individuals are going to come back again at him with that. “Cool. I am a fan now,” he mentioned. Brown, whose final season within the NBA was 2012-13, added that Bryant and Michael Jordan would have gotten to a favourite spot and tried a shot in that state of affairs.

Following Sharpe’s rebuttal, Brown issued one other profanity-laden video, this one directed on the Corridor of Famer.

He claimed that Sharpe is in no place to critique his arguments as a result of he performed soccer, not basketball, including that Sharpe is a “football-playing dummy.” He additionally mentioned Sharpe’s opinion was warped by what Brown described as fandom of James, pointing to a confrontation between him and the Grizzlies in January. (Sharpe later apologized for the incident).

“You name me emotional. You had been going to combat an entire group due to your love affair with LeBron,” Brown mentioned of Sharpe. “You the explanation Ja (Morant) most likely carrying weapons proper now. Ja was like ‘Oh, s—, a big-a— n— in a grandmama sweater attempting to combat his daddy and group.'”

The ball is in Sharpe’s courtroom if he needs to proceed the feud. If he does, anticipate extra vitriol.

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