Jeremiah Smith Fires Back After LeBron James Ring Take Causes Stir

Jeremiah Smith Fires Back After LeBron James Ring Take Causes Stir originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Recently, Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith caused quite a commotion after he commented a 100 emoji to an X post calling out NBA star and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James for taking "shortcuts to easy rings."

It led to many social media users calling out the wide receiver, with one even stating that Smith did the same thing by joining the Buckeyes and winning the national championship instead of joining a team closer to home since he's from Florida.

Of course, much of the time when people start calling out athletes, like Smith, it doesn't warrant a response, but this time the wide receiver couldn't resist, saying "Man, get a life" to that social media user.

The entire situation becomes more interesting considering that James has always been vocal about his love for the Buckeyes, as he grew up in Akron, Ohio, even stating he would have chosen Ohio State for basketball if he went to college.

He also hasn't been shy when it comes to praising Smith, because after the wide receiver performed an impressive touchdown reception against Michigan State last year, James went to X to say "JEREMIAH SMITH!!!! MAN KNOCK IT OFF!!!! MY GOODNESS O-H.."

This whole situation could have potentially been blown out of proportion, as Smith may not have meant to push any ill intent toward James and has since deleted his original comment.

Of course, this kind of drama is something Smith would like to put behind him as he faces some big personal expectations for 2025, as ESPN BET ties him for the second-best odds (+900) to win the Heisman Trophy.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.