The Ben Simmons slander just won't end. ESPN golden boy Stephen A. Smith is the latest to come out with an all-out tirade against the Sixers want-away star, and it comes to no surprise that Stephen A. did not hold back with his criticism of Simmons. The renowned sportscaster was so fired up that he just had to invoke LeBron James in his fiery rant.

Smith sounded off on Simmons' recent shot at the Sixers wherein he claimed that it's not his job to improve his market value. While Stephen A admitted that Simmons had a point, he then went on to blast the former Rookie of the Year for the lack of work he's put in through the years:

“It's his job to grow up and accept some responsibility,” Smith said (h/t Evan Tiwari of sportskeeda). “And it's damn sure his job as a professional athlete to maximize his potential to be the best he can be. I have said this for years, Ben Simmons is a jump shot away from being LeBron James 2.0.”

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As always, Stephen A. Smith has a valid point here. A countless number of players entered the league without a refined jump shot, but some of them were able to find a way to add this weapon to their arsenal. We need not look further than LeBron James. So why can't Ben Simmons do it? Is it a matter of the Sixers guard not being physically capable of doing so, or is it just an issue with his work ethic?

Moreover, do we agree that Ben Simmons is just a jump shot away from being the next LeBron James? That's a gargantuan leap and at this point, it doesn't look like this is going to happen anytime soon for the soon-to-be (?) ex-Sixers star.