Josh Smith didn’t need long to read Bam Adebayo’s all-time list, and he had a theory ready.
Adebayo’s five included Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Tim Duncan, with LeBron James left out. On Joe Johnson’s “Nightcap” podcast, Johnson brought Smith on as a guest, and the former Hawks forward zeroed in on that omission.
“He's probably mad Bron didn’t come down there to South Beach and mess with him. He's salty, man. Might be a little salty, man,” said the former high-flying forward.
“Salt kills snails, not players.”
The reaction online matched Smith’s read on the situation. Fans pointed to the same idea: that Adebayo’s list had more to do with James not ending up in Miami than with the names themselves.
“It's obvious he feels salty Bron didn't choose Miami to play with him. MF said Kevin Durant. KD a monster but not top five all-time,” said @hi_mjim.
“He hating 'cause Lebron didn't come back to the Heat,” echoed @Tupacaveli68.
“GOAT James doesn't join your city, and suddenly the players, fans, and organization hate him? They’re basically saying the quiet part out loud, if that makes sense. LOL,” added @inotuonye7.
Josh Smith says Bam Adebayo is SALTY that LeBron didn’t come to Miami and that’s why he left him off his top 5 players list:
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) August 3, 2026
“He prolly mad Bron didn’t come down there to South Beach and mess with him. He salty man. Might be a little salty man. Salt kills snails, not players.”… https://t.co/1j3fYbTOsx pic.twitter.com/P4BMzkd4eF
“This list says so much more about Bam than it does about the actual top five,” claimed @reydelrock.
“He just mad LEBRON AIN'T GO TO MIAMI. HE SAID KD OVER BRON, GET REAL,” commented @ItsLittbro.
Adebayo and James have gotten close over the years, especially during Team USA’s run at the 2024 Paris Olympics. James also congratulated Adebayo after he scored 83 points in March.
Smith and Johnson have plenty of reason to weigh in, too. During their playing days with Atlanta, they were on the other side of James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs, and they saw up close just how good the four-time MVP was.
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