When it comes to defending professional athletes, former Philadelphia Eagles stars aren't afraid to speak their minds. The latest sports debate to spark controversy? Whether LeBron James' 2020 NBA championship should count, given it was won inside the NBA's Orlando bubble during the pandemic.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy recently dismissed the title on his show "Wake Up Barstool," arguing that the bubble environment diminished the achievement. But former Eagles running back LeSean "Shady" McCoy wasn't having it, and he didn't hold back in his response.
"When you take dudes that are not athletes that don't respect athletes and they say stuff like this, bro," McCoy fired back via YouTube. "LeBron, bubble or no bubble, he's going against other great professional players."
McCoy made a crucial point that resonates with anyone who's ever competed at a high level: the bubble didn't remove the competition. Future multi-time MVP Nikola Jokic was there. Every team that was in playoff contention before the pandemic paused the season was still in the mix. The rules applied equally to all 22 teams that entered the bubble, and James and the Lakers simply came out on top.
Former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho doubled down on the argument with equal passion. "If you've accomplished anything athletically in your life at any level, you understand how hard it is to go against another person whose job it is to keep you from winning and win," Acho explained. "A professional. A professional, particularly an individual who is getting paid millions of dollars to stop you from doing what you are doing."
The former NFL stars didn't stop there. They turned their attention directly to Portnoy, who had also made dismissive comments about LeBron's overall tenure with the Lakers. Acho delivered perhaps the most memorable line of the exchange: "Portnoy giving LeBron basketball advice would be like an unhoused person giving Portnoy wealth advice."
It's a reminder that in the world of sports, respect for the craft matters. Whether you're talking about a championship won in a bubble or a Super Bowl victory, the athletes on the field, court, or ice are the ones who put in the work. And as McCoy and Acho made clear, armchair critics who've never faced that level of competition might want to think twice before dismissing what it takes to win at the highest level.