"He's the Black Captain America" - Ex-Lakers guard likens LeBron James to Barack Obama while unpacking superstar's rift with Stephen A. Smith

The beef between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith made headlines for about two weeks before dying down a bit as the NBA playoffs near. However, former LA Lakers guard Patrick Beverley brought the topic back for a bit in the latest episode of his podcast.

On "The Pat Bev Podcast w/ Rone," the ex-NBA guard discussed the rift between the ESPN analyst and the biggest superstar in basketball. Beverley was baffled by how people reacted since James barely responds to criticism, and when he did, it was talked about by many in the basketball media.

The Chicago native labeled the four-time NBA champion as the Black Captain America, likening him to the hate the new MCU film received.

"He's the Black Captain America," Beverley said. "What the f**k? Like, he is literally a Back Captain America. He's probably the most powerful African American alive, besides Barack Obama. You talking about, like, one of the most powerful men alive, and y'all get on TV. Come on, man."

Stephen A. Smith has been a critic of LeBron James, though he has also served him praise over the years. Smith must have crossed a line when he questioned James' parenting in regards to how Bronny's arrival in the NBA was handled.

"The King" confronted Smith in an LA Lakers game in early March, resulting in the eccentric ESPN personality going after the NBA superstar on television and his YouTube channel. LeBron then responded on "The Pat McAfee Show" and took shots at Smith as well as other ESPN members.

Smith was not having any of it, bringing up LeBron being absent for Kobe Bryant's funeral, which was proven false. The beef then quietly died down as people lost interest and moved on to other things.

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Alex Ovechkin's history-making goal turns into LeBron James GOAT debate

Alex Ovechkin's history-making goal turns into LeBron James GOAT debate. (Photo: IMAGN)

Washington Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin made history on Sunday when he broke Wayne Gretzky's scoring record. Ovechkin scored his 895th goal to become the NHL's all-time leader, surpassing "The Great One."

On ESPN's "First Take," Ovechkin's record-breaking accomplishment was likened to LeBron James passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer. The discussion turned into a GOAT debate after former NHL star P.K. Subban said that he preferred Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant over "King James."

Shannon Sharpe, of course, disagreed since he's one of the biggest LeBron fans on television. The discussion went from celebrating Ovechkin's historic night to a GOAT debate, which wasn't surprising given the comparisons the analysts presented.