"What IF* Magic doesn’t contract HIV" - Shannon Sharpe fires back at fan dissing take on LeBron James' controversial Miami Heat claim

Shannon Sharpe's reaction to LeBron James' comment that he would be the same player even without joining the Miami Heat didn't sit well with some fans. However, one fan's comment on Sharpe's take, which he blurted out in ESPN's "First Take," got the ire of Sharpe himself.

Sharpe first posted his sentiments on James' comments on X with the caption:

"Now I do think (James) is the GOAT but under these circumstances."

At that point, Le'Von Riase rebutted Shannon Sharpe, saying that he was missing the point on what LeBron James meant when he said that he could still be the NBA superstar that he is now even if he did not join the Miami Heat.

"(Shannon), you are missin' LeBron’s point, put lebron on any team other than the Miami Heat back in 2011 and you tell me what would have been the outcome," Riase tweeted. "What if LeBron had joined the spurs with an aging (Tim) Duncan and (Tony) Parker with a young Kawhi (Leonard). What would have been the outcome?"

Sharpe clapped back at Riase by quoting his reply and tweeting:

"What IF* (Shaquille O'Neal) took off season conditioning serious? What IF* (Michael) Jordan doesn’t retire twice and (the Chicago) Bulls stay together? What IF* Magic (Johnson) doesn’t contract HIV or (Larry) Bird's (back) doesn’t go out? Y’all pretending like I said the man’s a bum w/o the Heat. Both benefited from the other’s presence."

Shannon Sharpe's take on LeBron James' controversial Miami Heat take

When asked for a reaction on LeBron James' comment that he would just be the same even if he did not play for the Miami Heat, Shannon Sharpe "strenuously disagreed" with what the LA Lakers superstar said.

Sharpe even added that James wouldn't have been in the greatest of all-time conversations if he failed to achieve what he did in Miami.

While seemingly calling out James, Sharpe said:

"At the time he arrived in Miami, he had two regular-season MVPs and one finals appearance through his first seven seasons. LeBron, do you realize the reason why you got into the GOAT conversation is because of what transpired in Miami? You won two Finals MVPs. You won two more regular season MVPs. You went to four straight finals. LeBron, how can you say that your career was gonna be the same without going to Miami?"

Shannon Sharpe then said that LeBron James was "so dismissive" when he talked about his Miami Heat stint and called him out anew by telling him to give credit to them.