Stephen A. Smith doesn't waste time in mocking LeBron James fan Shannon Sharpe's "Lakers in 5" monologues

Stephen A. Smith immediately trolled his fellow ESPN analyst, Shannon Sharpe, following LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Game 1 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Reacting to the 95-117 blowout loss, Smith implied that Sharpe’s iconic “Lakers in 5” predictions will soon be inaccurate.

“Someone just text me with this message to send DIRECTLY to @ShannonSharpe: Triple-A….NWA…..I Don’t Care what Shannon has to say = Lakers AIN’T winning in 5,” Stephen A. Smith wrote on X.

Throughout the 2024-2025 regular season, Shannon Sharpe amused viewers with quirky catchphrases, revealing his fandom for the LA side. He went viral on social media on numerous instances for using such monologues, claiming that the Lakers would win their postseason battles “in 5 (games)”.

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“OKC, KFC, UFC, Lakers in five.” “SGA, PGA, USA, Lakers in five.” “Feel good, look good, all good, Lakers in five.”

While Luka Doncic recorded 37 points and 8 rebounds in his Purple & Gold postseason debut, his heroic efforts weren’t enough to lead the home team to a win. The trio of Anthony Edwards, Naz Reid, and Jaden McDaniels collectively scored 70 points, contributing massively for Minnesota to gain a 1-0 advantage in the opening-round series.

The Timberwolves sent a clear message to Shannon Sharpe and other Lakers fans—this series won’t be easy for the higher-seeded team.

For Sharpe’s iconic “Lakers in five” prediction to come true, JJ Redick’s boys must fulfil the improbable feat of winning four straight games.

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Shannon Sharpe reacts to the Lakers’ Game 1 loss

As a response to the Los Angeles Lakers’ Game 1 defeat, Shannon Sharpe admitted that his “Lakers in five” predictions were not to be taken literally. According to him, the phrase was simply meant to express confidence that the Lakers would win the series, not necessarily do it in five games.

“Lakers in five rolls off the tongue. It don't sound as good ‘Lakers in seven’, it don't sound as good ‘Lakers in six’. But I feel very confident if it's six, seven it don't matter,” Sharpe clarified (timestamp 9:53 onwards).

On the same episode of his “Nightcap” podcast, he criticized every member of the Lakers not named Luka Doncic. Further, the NFL legend spoke about the implications of Game 1’s loss on the remainder of the series.

“Lakers, with the exception of Luka, nobody really played well… The home team has lost home court in the first great and normally that's not what you want to see… This is an absolute must-win, Monday night, they've got to get this game,” Sharpe said (timestamp 0:55 onwards).

LeBron James and Austin Reaves combined for just 35 points in Game 1, a subpar performance from two key contributors. If the Lakers want to bounce back and level the series on Monday night, both players will need to significantly elevate their efficiency.

Edited by Dipayan Moitra