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LeBron James Addresses His Old Feud With DeShawn Stevenson: ‘Come at the King’
LeBron James opens up about his long-standing feud with DeShawn Stevenson, shedding light on the rivalry that captivated NBA fans years ago. Read more.
LeBron James has played 21 seasons in the NBA, and with that much time in the league, it's inevitable that some players will have issues with you. DeShawn Stevenson was one such player, and their rivalry kicked off in 2008 when Stevenson played for the Washington Wizards and James was with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Recently, an Instagram account revisited their feud, and James had an amusing reaction to it.
"Come at the (King). You best not miss! By the way, I was 23 years old! Haha!"
If this had all unfolded in today’s social media-driven world, it would have been a spectacle! As for the origin of the feud, Stevenson claimed it started with LeBron. According to Stevenson, their mutual friend Drew Gooden told him about a comment James made about him, which rubbed him the wrong way.
Stevenson said it was both professional and personal, and his frustration was evident. After LeBron missed a game-winning shot over him during the Cavaliers-Wizards matchup on March 13, 2008, Stevenson called him overrated.
LeBron responded by referencing Jay-Z and Soulja Boy, which was a clever comeback. In turn, Stevenson hoped the Wizards would face the Cavaliers in the playoffs and promised to bring Soulja Boy to one of their home games.
As luck would have it, the two teams met in the first round of the playoffs. It was the third consecutive year they faced off at this stage, with Cleveland winning the previous two encounters.
The 2008 series seemed headed the same way when LeBron led the Cavaliers to a 2-0 lead. Game 3 moved to Washington, where Soulja Boy showed up in a Stevenson jersey and watched the Wizards dominate the Cavaliers 108-72, sparking hopes for a competitive series.
However, LeBron and the Cavaliers won Game 4, taking a 3-1 lead. After that game, when asked if the Wizards could come back, James quickly dismissed the possibility.
The Wizards won Game 5, but the Cavaliers eliminated them in six, and LeBron was likely thrilled to send Stevenson home. During the series, LeBron mocked the Wizards forward's signature celebration, "I can't feel my face," highlighting the tension between the two.
Although LeBron claimed victory in 2008, Stevenson got his revenge a few years later. He played a role in the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks team that upset James and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
After the Finals, Stevenson wore a t-shirt that read, "Hey LeBron! How's My Dirk Taste?" Despite previously downplaying any rivalry, that shirt made it obvious there was still animosity. However, years later, Stevenson admitted he regretted the beef with LeBron.
"Looking back, it's tough because wherever I go, people always bring up the LeBron thing. It got my name out there, for sure. But as black men, we need to come together and lift each other up. We were both doing the same things. Now that I'm older, I see we were just making fools of ourselves."
Stevenson acknowledged his immaturity during that time and would have handled things differently, even if it meant he wouldn't have gained the same level of attention.
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