Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is increasingly acknowledged as the greatest basketball player of all time, sparking heated debates between him and Michael Jordan by many fans and observers.

However, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith pointed out a significant reason why the Lakers star is deemed inferior to the Bulls legend.

Smith discussed this with co-host Shannon Sharpe on a recent episode of First Take on ESPN. He stated that James tends to avoid taking accountability when his team underperforms, often shifting blame onto a scapegoat, typically the head coach.

The famous analyst also remarked that James losing another coach is concerning and raises questions about his leadership, casting doubt on his greatness.

The Lakers recently dismissed head coach Darvin Ham after a two-season tenure, both of which concluded with playoff eliminations at the hands of the Denver Nuggets.

"The acrimony, the friction, the divide, the fragmentation, all of those things play a role in contributing to one's greatness or lack thereof. "Maybe that's the reason LeBron has four rings instead of six," the 56-year-old television personality added.

James could potentially play with 11th career head coach

James is poised to play under his 11th head coach as he enters his 22nd season in the league, indicating that he has had a new coach on average every two years.

This would also mark the Lakers' fourth head coach since James joined the team in 2018, following Luke Walton, Frank Vogel, and Ham.

While rumors suggest that the Lakers are pursuing Clippers head coach Ty Lue, who previously coached James with the Cavaliers, if this were to happen, James' count would remain at ten head coaches throughout his career.