Stephen A says Lebron most important athlete in sports

[JT123]

Why is he the "most important athlete in sports"? Because Stephen A. Smith said so?

No, it's because every sports fan in America cares about EVERYTHING the guy says or does. I've never seen an athlete spark so much butt hurt in so many people with just one sentence. Last year all he said was he thought he should be defensive player of the year, and EVERY non Heat fan instantly lost their mind!
Do you honestly believe Kobe or Durant making a statement like that would inspire such butt hurt and emotion? Lebron even got people to watch a Finals series involving the Spurs for crying out loud.

[Solefade]

No, it's because every sports fan in America cares about EVERYTHING the guy says or does. I've never seen an athlete spark so much butt hurt in so many people with just one sentence. Last year all he said was he thought he should be defensive player of the year, and EVERY non Heat fan instantly lost their mind!
Do you honestly believe Kobe or Durant making a statement like that would inspire such butt hurt and emotion? Lebron even got people to watch a Finals series involving the Spurs for crying out loud.

this is very true, the media and the haters make a big deal out of what lebron eats for breakfast...honestly the league generates a lot more media attention when lebron and the heat are failing, can't really say that about any other athlete

[russwest0]

stopped reading/caring at "Stephen A"

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

No, it's because every sports fan in America cares about EVERYTHING the guy says or does. I've never seen an athlete spark so much butt hurt in so many people with just one sentence. Last year all he said was he thought he should be defensive player of the year, and EVERY non Heat fan instantly lost their mind!
Do you honestly believe Kobe or Durant making a statement like that would inspire such butt hurt and emotion? Lebron even got people to watch a Finals series involving the Spurs for crying out loud.

Popular and important are two different things, people

Nothing you said above makes him "important"

[Batz]

No, it's because every sports fan in America cares about EVERYTHING the guy says or does. I've never seen an athlete spark so much butt hurt in so many people with just one sentence. Last year all he said was he thought he should be defensive player of the year, and EVERY non Heat fan instantly lost their mind!
Do you honestly believe Kobe or Durant making a statement like that would inspire such butt hurt and emotion? Lebron even got people to watch a Finals series involving the Spurs for crying out loud.

What does any of this have to do with importance? The criteria should be set upon that which athlete is the market most dependent on. Not if they talk about him a lot.

I agree that he is a vital athlete on a global scale, but not because there are a lot of 'haters' and 'stans'.

Popular and important are two different things, people

Nothing you said above makes him "important"

Exactly.

[ArbitraryWater]

[bdreason]

His argument was terrible. What does LeBron do outside of Basketball? Samsung commercials?

[aboss4real24]

His argument was terrible. What does LeBron do outside of Basketball? Samsung commercials?

[COLOR="Magenta"]Invest in professional teams, Visit schools, donate to children in need,.......[/COLOR]

[Rose'sACL]

Popular and important are two different things, people

Nothing you said above makes him "important"

magic and bird were more important than legends who played before them because they gave life to the league. Same with Jordan. The guy is hated by so many and liked by so many at the same time that i don't think anyone other than Jordan would have made spurs-heat finals one of the most watched if he played for a small market team.

[Batz]

His argument was terrible. What does LeBron do outside of Basketball? Samsung commercials?

He's an athlete. Classifying him as important athlete would mean he is a vital figure to the sport... Which would primarily be basketball.

Amri? He's important because he is a representation of the game of basketball. Also, he's African American (gasp), which also makes him a representation of that group to the public market. There are other factors of course, but I'm too lazy to list them. Lebron is an important athlete. Everything he does is then reflected into the open market, and he does have an affect on it.

[kennethgriffin]

SAS trying to ingratiate himself to Bran

dude's entire career is based of riding coattails and being part of the entourage

he will start bran in favor of the next superstar when the situation serves him

somebodies been watching empire of the sun lately

[Ronaldinho]

Nowadays, in US sports, he probably is. Outside US, soccer players will always be bigger the US stars.

Anyway, how big is mayweather in US? Everyone stop to see his fights?

[KyrieTheFuture]

Nowadays, in US sports, he probably is. Outside US, soccer players will always be bigger the US stars.

Anyway, how big is mayweather in US? Everyone stop to see his fights?

Boxing just isn't popular in the US anymore for some reason

[sammichoffate]

Boxing just isn't popular in the US anymore for some reason

Because Mayweather v. Pacquiao will never happen

[RoundMoundOfReb]

He is. Who else has a case? Floyd Mayweather, maybe?