Having played in the NBA for twenty-one seasons, LeBron James is certain to have a few guys with whom he has a falling out. Among those to do so was DeShawn Stevenson, and their rivalry dates back to 2008, when James was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers and he was a member of the Washington Wizards. James responded to that beef in an intriguing way when an Instagram account recently looked back on it.
“Go after the King. Better not, Miss! Oh, and I was twenty-three! Hehe!”
Just think of how things may have turned out in the age of social media! In regards to how this whole thing started, Stevenson would have you believe that LeBron did. He said that Drew Gooden, a mutual friend, had informed him of a remark James had made about him that he found offensive.
Stevenson clarified that it was both personal and professional and that he was obviously upset. So, on March 13, 2008, when the Cavaliers played the Wizards, he dubbed LeBron “overrated” after he missed a game-winning jumper over him.
James made a fantastic reply when he responded by mentioning Soulja Boy and Jay-Z. In response, Stevenson stated that he would invite Soulja Boy to a home game and expressed his wish that the Wizards would face the Cavaliers in the playoffs.
As luck would have it, the Cavaliers and Wizards did indeed play each other in the opening round. The clubs were facing off on that same stage for the third consecutive year, with Cleveland emerging victorious in the previous two.
After LeBron helped the Cavaliers establish a 2-0 lead, the 2008 series appeared to be headed in the same direction. After that, the series moved to Washington for Game 3, where Soulja Boy did indeed turn up wearing a Stevenson jersey. He saw the Wizards thrash the Cavaliers 108–72, and it seemed like a fascinating series was ahead of us.
However, LeBron and the Cavaliers went on to win Game 4 and grab a 3-1 lead. James was asked if the Wizards might make a comeback following that game, but he brushed the question off.
Though the Cavaliers ultimately defeated the Wizards in six games, LeBron would have been happy to send Stevenson home. The Wizards did win Game 5. When he was seen making fun of the Wizards forward’s hallmark celebration—”I can’t feel my face”—during the series, it was obvious that resentment existed between them.
Even though LeBron won in 2008, Stevenson would truly exact some payback a few years later. He played for the Dallas Mavericks in 2010–11, the club that upset James and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
Stevenson wore a t-shirt that said, “Hey LeBron!” after the series. How Tastes My Dirk? That t-shirt made it quite obvious that wasn’t the case, even if he had rejected suggestions of any beef both before and throughout the series. However, Stevenson later acknowledged that he regretted his feud with LeBron.
“With all that stuff, it stinks because it seems like everyone always brings up the LeBron issue when I go somewhere. You know, with that, I put my name out there. Really, it’s that far out there. Ultimately, though, we black guys need to stick together and support one another. We both took identical actions. Therefore, looking back, it seems to me that we were both essentially making a fool of ourselves.”
Over the whole ordeal, Stevenson came to the realization that he was acting a little immaturely. If he could go back, it seems like he would have done things differently, even if it meant his name wouldn’t become as well-known as it has.
