Everybody had something to say after Kawhi Leonard was ruled out for Game 3 of the first-round series between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers. Leonard was expected to lead the charge for his team as they returned to Los Angeles to continue the series.
However, that never happened, and the Clippers succumbed to the Suns, who almost blew the game against a team without their two superstars. In the wake of this game, Stephen A. Smith had some harsh words to say to Kawhi Leonard, labeling him as the worst superstar the NBA has ever seen.
“Kawhi Leonard should be on the list of one of the worst superstars this game has ever seen,” Smith said on First Take. “That’s right, I said it.”
The ESPN analyst made it clear that this has nothing to do with Kawhi’s talents but the fact that he constantly lets his team down, especially in the postseason.
“Because anybody that watches basketball knows I’m obviously not talking about his skills,” Smith continued. “We know the brother is big time, we know that as a talent he’s a superstar… he is that dude. But when you talk about a superstar that is unreliable, I want somebody that’s pointing me out somebody more flagrant than him.”
"Kawhi Leonard should be on the list of one of the worst superstars this game has ever seen." —@stephenasmith 👀 pic.twitter.com/Q9dzgDiSxz
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 21, 2023
He went on to say that he’d rather have Kyrie Irving over Leonard because the Dallas Mavericks player does show up in the playoffs. This is huge coming from Smith, who has personal issues with Kyrie.
This is how disappointed he is with Kawhi, who could have made a statement in Game 3, but the Clippers ruled him out. Clippers fans went into panic mode after learning this news, and they were right about that.
All that load management didn’t help Leonard, who missed a crucial game and left his team in a complex position.
Stephen A. Smith Previously Picked Kawhi Over Kevin Durant In Suns-Clippers Series
Smith’s anger is justified after he picked Leonard over Kevin Durant for the rest of this series. The Klaw was playing great basketball and loading heavy minutes, but this situation didn’t sit well with many people around the league.
The Clippers will have the chance to tie the series this Saturday, but the Suns will try to return home with a 3-1 advantage. Without Leonard, the job will be hard to carry out, but they know this is a crucial game for their aspirations.
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