Stephen A. Smith Calls Out LeBron James’ Agent Rich Paul Over Viral Michael Jordan Take

There are a lot of ways to approach a Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James GOAT debate. But dismissing Jordan's impact in the six finals' he won shouldn't be one of them. James' agent, Rich Paul, as a result, has struck a nerve in analyst Stephen A. Smith, who becomes the latest person to call him out.

"It will never happen as long as I’m breathing, and I’m doing First Take," Smith said on ESPN, letting Paul know that he won't let him downplay Jordan.

"You can scratch that dream, my brotha. It’s never, ever, ever going to happen. I see it from a mile away. … If you lower Michael Jordan an inch in anybody's mind, you simultaneously must elevate LeBron. Rich Paul will deny it until the cows come home," he added.

Paul, on the Game Over podcast, had declared that without Scottie Pippen by his side, Jordan would have been 0-6 in the Finals, which, to the broader NBA audience, would feel like a very far-fetched claim.

While Pippen was important (as is any second-option next to a star in the NBA), Jordan's name was synonymous with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. He averaged over 30 points a game throughout his career, won six Finals MVPs, and maintained his 100% record in the Finals.

And Stephen A. Smith will not allow Paul to change that narrative.

Paul's client James, statistically right up there with MJ as one of the best to ever play in the NBA, is behind His Airness in one very important aspect: Finals wins. James has been to the Finals 10 times in his career, but has won just four of those series. Just like Jordan had Pippen's help to win six rings, James also got the help he needed from the likes of Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis.

Journalist Tim MacMahon even handed Paul a bitter pill earlier this week when he said that LeBron would have gone 0-10 in his Finals, had it not been for his aides.

Paul's comments will hurt LeBron James more, says Kendrick Perkins

Perkins was absolutely baffled upon hearing Paul's take on Pippen and Jordan. And it really didn't have much to do with the type of player Scottie was in Chicago. Instead, it was about Paul pushing a narrative that could end up damaging James' image

"This is where he has to stop," the former NBA champ said on the Road Trippin' show. "This is where he starts to hurt LeBron James' GOAT case. This is where people start saying the 'controlling of the narrative.'"

"You speaking on MJ and saying these things, and it’s like ‘Here goes Rich Paul, LeBron’s guy, to hype up his GOAT status.' But it’s not hyping it up; it’s actually making it worse!"

It's unlikely that James will ever match Jordan's six rings. At 41 years old, he simply doesn't have time on his side. So Perkins, much like Smith, saw Paul's attempt to portray LeBron's Finals record as superior to Jordan's as nothing more than a cheap shot.

It also paints James' camp in a bad light. To neutrals, it would appear as though he's desperate enough to have his agent go out there and discredit one of the biggest achievements in the sport's history just to make his own look better.

And James, being the person he is, would certainly not want to do that. The debates over who's better aside, he has always shared a great deal of respect for Jordan.

In an ESPN interview earlier this year, he said, "I hope I made him proud at least, wearing that No. 23... There are a lot of things that MJ did better than I do. And I think there are some things that I do better than him. That's just how the game goes."

Now, does that sound like a man who wants to attack a legend's legacy? Basketball fans know the answer to that question. And to be honest, even Rich Paul does.