Stephen Jackson does not come across as a LeBron James loyalist. It’s easy to tell, thanks to the many times he’s gone on air to criticize and lambaste the four-time MVP, who, last time we checked, is still a Cleveland Cavaliers player.
In his latest tirade aimed at James, Jackson, during an appearance on Fox Sports, centered on the Cavs forward’s behavior in the 2018 NBA Finals, particularly disparaging James for his perceived quitting in Game 4. Jackson also went after James’ injured right hand, which the former thinks is just a form of excuse by the superstar.
Via Jason Owens of Yahoo Sports:
Toward the end of his rant, Jackson came to the conclusion that James just up and quit on his teammates.
“That took a lot out of him,” Jackson said of Game 1. “He quit. He knew he was playing against a better team. After Game 1, he knew he was beat. Point blank, bruh. It had nothing to do with his hand.
“They got swept. 4-0. Take it like a man. Go home, bruh.”
https://twitter.com/BruceBlitz/status/1006986557755199488
In fairness to Jackson, James looked like he was done in Game 4. Perhaps realizing the insurmountable odds of coming back from a 3-0 hole against an all-time great time like the Golden State Warriors paired with the fatigue, James failed to radiate with optimism based on his body language in that game.
Still, James scored 23 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field with seven rebounds, eight assists, and a block in 41 minutes of duty on the floor.
