Stephen A. Smith Blasts NBA Superstar For Criticisms Of LeBron James

Team USA is sending what many consider to be a team that is as loaded an Olympic team as we have seen dating back to the iconic "Dream Team" back in 1992.

However, while fans and analysts feel this way about the team, first-time Olympian Joel Embiid recently revealed he has his concern for the squad and it wasn't minor either. Embiid highlighted the fact that notable players like LeBron James make this team look great on paper, but are older and not nearly as good as they were in their prime.

"LeBron now is not the LeBron that was a couple of years ago, so it's a big difference," Embiid said in a recent interview when expressing his concerns.

While he may not be the same player he was a couple of years ago, he was able to bail out Team USA in their exhibition meeting against South Sudan this past weekend. James was able to take over in the second half for Team USA, and also hit a clutch game-winning layup to prevent what would have been one of the biggest upsets in international basketball ever.

When addressing Embiid's comments on "First Take" this morning, Stephen A. Smith revealed he was not a fan of what Embiid had to say.

While Smith did deem the comments to be "fair" he did say that he felt as if Embiid was "managing expectations" which he doesn't approve of with a team this talented.

"I think it's fair I just think...it's like he's managing expectations and I don't like it," Smith said . "LeBron James is sensational. LeBron James is so incredible for the game of basketball because remember the man's brilliance can't be denied. But it's not just as a basketball player it's as a businessman it's as an ambassador it's about all those things. When we want stars, we want what LeBron James gives us. It's the bright lights it's the marquee it's knowing that you're the guy everybody's coming to see and you answer the call. That is what superstars are made of. You got a lot of guys who have superstar talent...they're not superstars mentally cause they don't embrace what LeBron embraces."

Smith went on to explain why Embiid doesn't have the resume to make those judgments and expressed that what he said is not something that should have been uttered before the team pursued their fifth-straight medal.

"When I think about Joel Embiid - I think Joel Embiid is in the conversation as one of the greatest talents as a big man we have ever seen in the history of basketball. But he's 0-5 lifetime in conference semifinal appearances. He's never been to a conference finals. He's never been to a finals. When he was in college at Kansas he couldn't play in the Big 12 and the NCAA tournament because of a back injury.

"So here you are on the Olympic stage. All I'm saying is this. You're going for the gold. I don't want to hear all that."

Team USA and Embiid, who is clearly struggling to adapt to the international rules, will have one more tune-up game before they head to Paris. Embiid may also get a talking-to from the team about not creating unnecessary distractions. A chat that someone likely had with Anthony Edwards after he declared he was the top option, thus sparking a debate about who was the top option on the team.

They take on Germany on Monday afternoon.