Joel Embiid raised some eyebrows recently when he made comments that seemed to suggest that his fellow Team USA teammate LeBron James is not the same player he once was. Many folks weren't exactly pleased with what Embiid had to say, and it appears as if Stephen A. Smith was a part of that crowd.

With the 2024 Summer Olympics right around the corner, Team USA is heavily favored to take home gold in basketball. They suffered a scare in their most recent friendly against South Sudan, though, proving that they aren't invincible like everyone thinks they are. And if you ask Smith, he thinks that Embiid's comments about James were made in an effort to reel in the sky-high expectations surrounding the team, which didn't sit well with him.

Stephen A. Smith doesn't hold back on Joel Embiid

USA forward Joel Embiid (11) looks on during the third quarter against Canada in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena.
Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Embiid's comments were certainly shocking, especially considering it was James who hit the game-winning shot in their hard-fought victory over South Sudan. Smith took his complaints in a different direction, though, as he sees it as an excuse for Team USA should they not be able to win gold at the Olympics.

On paper, Team USA is easily the best team in the Olympics. But talent on paper doesn't always result in wins. The 2023 FIBA tournament was proof that America's shiny squads weren't always guaranteed to win. That's largely why this superteam was constructed for the 2024 Olympics to begin with.

Team USA is expected to win gold, and that's an extremely reasonable expectation. But things haven't always gone according to plan for them in their friendlies. They nearly lost to South Sudan, and for Embiid personally, he's struggled to find his footing on the court so far. Smith thinks he's doing preemptive damage control in the event USA somehow loses.

Maybe Embiid was just making a simple observation, but given the circumstances, it's tough to not look into his comments and feel like there's a veiled message of sorts being conveyed. This shouldn't change the fact that Team USA should go on to win gold in the Olympics, but if they end up falling short, you can bet that Smith is going to be at the front of the line when it comes to criticizing Embiid and the rest of his teammates.