Stephen A. Smith Calls Kawhi Leonard One of the ‘Worst Superstars’ in NBA History Following Yet Another Injury
Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard was once again absent from the team’s 129-124 playoff loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday. This has unfortunately become the norm throughout the career of the injury-plagued superstar, and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is fed up with it.
“In 2019, Kawhi Leonard played all 24 postseason games for the Toronto Raptors,” Smith said on Friday’s episode of First Take. “Since that time, Kawhi Leonard has played 26 total playoff games for the Clippers.”
“Kawhi Leonard should be on the list of one of the worst superstars this game has ever seen,” he said. “That’s right, I said it, because anybody that watches basketball knows I’m obviously not talking about his skills. We know the brother is big-time. We know that as a talent, he’s a superstar, one who shows up when he plays. I’m talking about in terms of his performance, (he) performs in the postseason arguably better than he performs in the regular season. He is that dude. But when you talk about a superstar that is unreliable, I want somebody to point me out somebody more flagrant than him.”
After missing the entire 2021 season recovering from a torn ACL, Leonard played just 52 games in the 2022 regular season due to lingering knee issues and load management. In the first two games of the Clippers’ playoff series against the Suns, Leonard averaged 34.5 points per game and looked to be ready for another deep playoff run. That was before the surprise announcement that he’d miss Thursday’s Game 3 with a knee sprain.
Smith was sure to clarify that he doesn’t question the legitimacy of the injuries. However, he argued that his lack of playing time – in addition to his famously stoic demeanor – makes it hard for the NBA to market him as one of the top players in the league.
“That organization has become first-class,” Smith said of the Clippers. “(Owner) Steve Ballmer is one of my favorite people, favorite owners. It’s a damn shame that this man is who they have to rely on because you just can’t rely on him. And we know it’s because of injuries, but you just can’t rely on him.
“But the other stuff that it takes to magnetize folks to your franchise that you could do – personality-wise, helping to market the franchise – he does none of that. He just shows up to work, he does his job, (and) he goes back to business – when he shows up to work, which, as (First Take host Molly Qerim) highlighted at the start of this discussion, isn’t often.”
Watch above via ESPN
