ESPN contributor Bill Simmons appeared on ESPN’s “The Herd” on Wednesday and had some interesting comments regarding LeBron James’ first games back as a Cleveland Cavalier.
Comparing King James’ homecoming to the Los Angeles Angels signing Albert Pujols, Simmons said the following:
“Anyone who thinks LeBron looks the same is fooling themselves. He doesn’t have the same impulsiveness. He looks 20 pounds lighter physically. Just his general force-of-natureness capacity — whatever you want to say — it’s not there. And he’s driving to the basket, and he’s under the rim now, and I don’t know what that means. I don’t know if he’s hurt, I don’t know if the big weight loss has affected his game or whatever. This is not a jump-to-conclusion thing. I have been watching this Cavs team since the preseason games started, and he does not look the same.”
Fast-forward to Thursday.
On his ESPN radio show “Mike and Mike,” Mike Golic absolutely dumped on Simmons’ comments, The Big Lead reports.
Golic played a clip from Simmons’ rant and proceeded to say the following about the Grantland godfather:
“I think it’s one of the most ridiculous statements I’ve heard four games into a season in my life in any sport. That’s what I’ll say about Bill Simmons. So, you know, he grabbed a headline, which is something I know he loves — and that’s one of the most ridiculous lines I’ve ever heard in any sport in my life. Four games into a season. I don’t even … that’s ridiculous. I put nothing — ZERO — on that.”
Needless to say, Simmons wasn’t happy and defended himself on Twitter.
What Mike and Mike did today was absolute garbage. I would say I lost respect for that show, but I never had it. http://t.co/LRd8YzFfO8
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 6, 2014
For an ESPN Radio show to pull an interview out of context from another ESPN Radio show, then play the moral authority card, is disgusting.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 6, 2014
Have the balls to call me to discuss it on the show. Don’t pull it out of context just because you need fodder for a segment. Pathetic.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 6, 2014
So far, Golic has not responded to Simmons’ retaliation, but the storm is coming. Outside of Stephen A. Smith, Simmons and Golic are two of ESPN’s most hot-headed personalities.
It’s only a matter of time before the gloves come off and things get really nasty.