The NBA All-Star game has become the center of criticism in recent years, with fans and analysts questioning its decline in competitiveness and intensity. As the league tries to shift formats to revive the event, the need for superstar responsibility has only grown louder. Now, Stephen A. Smith has stoked that discussion, igniting debate over LeBron James’ legacy.

“This is where special individuals, the likes of MJ and Kobe and others like that, would come into play because they looked at themselves, they saw their name on the marquee, and they felt compelled to be out there to live up to it,” Smith said on the Stephen A. Smith Show. “And let’s not leave LeBron out of that as well because the vast majority of his career, he’s answered the call, too.”

Smith threw in a backhanded compliment to James, praising him for being a competitive player who set the tone, but not anymore.

For him, James‘ recent output during the All-Star game is representative of a more modern trend, and the optics of showing up for All-Star weekend without delivering competitive effort.

James, among others, has been widely criticized for lackluster competitiveness in the All-Star game, with the last truly entertaining one taking place in 2020. Scores nearly hitting the 200 mark showcase the lack of defense.

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Smith made it clear that this is a major issue, even highlighting that many former All-Stars and Hall of Famers have refused to come to more recent All-Star weekends because “the players don’t care, why should I?” as Smith put it.

For him, that issue extends beyond just the All-Star game.

Smith explained that the stars should feel an obligation to go out and perform for the fans. While he acknowledged the physical toll of today’s game, he distinguished injury management from voluntary absence.

The Michael Jordan standard from Stephen A. Smith: LeBron James can’t escape

Stephen A. Smith didn’t just stop with criticizing the current players’ outlook. He invoked Michael Jordan yet again, this time as a clear standard through an example.

“[Jordan would say] ‘I ain’t got it tonight, Phil,'” Smith began. “Phil Jackson says to him, ‘Can you give me one quarter?… Give me 20 points in the first quarter and I’ll give you off the rest of the night.’ And Michael Jordan goes out there and gives him 20… You show your face. It matters.”

While he didn’t single out James directly, the comparison lands in the broader conversation, especially with James dropping out of last year’s All-Star game with a leg injury just hours before the event began.

Smith’s position represents a philosophical divide between how media and players see the game.

James wants to preserve his body and perform when it matters. But Smith wants him to show out whenever necessary and honor the fans who tune in to see the big names perform.

As the NBA continues searching for ways to bring back the days of good All-Star games, Smith’s message is clear: superstars carry responsibility.