Paul George appeared as a special guest on ESPN’s coverage of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Mavericks and Celtics alongside Stephen A. Smith, Bob Myers, Mallika Andrews, and Michael Wilbon. Stephen A. openly took shots aimed at Kawhi Leonard‘s unavailability with George on the panel.
Stephen A. Smith: “Nobody on the planet knows what it’s like to play without a star than Paul George. Nobody knows.”
Paul George: “Don’t do that.”
Bob Myers: “Don’t react to that.”
Paul George is part of ESPN's 'NBA Countdown' coverage for Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals. 🏀🎙️📺
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The conversation had a jovial tone with everyone laughing, but this was a pretty unprofessional move by Smith who could have landed George in a tough spot with his co-star Kawhi. George is also angling for a max contract extension from the Clippers this summer, with a possibility that he has to find a new home.
Kawhi has been one of the most injury-prone superstars in the NBA since his season-long absence in the 2017-18 season. After bringing load management to the forefront of NBA debates as the strategy allowed Kawhi to bring an NBA Championship to the Toronto Raptors, Leonard continued struggling with health on the Clippers.
After a healthy 2019-20 season ended with one of the worst chokes in NBA Playoff history, Leonard would tear his ACL in the 2021 Playoffs and handicap the franchise as they made their first-ever Conference Finals appearance. He missed the entire 2021-22 season, with the team missing the Playoffs.
Leonard would also miss time in the 2023 Playoffs after getting hurt in the first round, dooming the Clippers against the Suns. The same happened in the 2024 Playoffs against the Mavericks, with Leonard missing Game 1 and forcing himself to play in Games 2 and 3, where he was a non-factor before being sidelined for the remainder of the first-round exit.
While George hasn’t been a beacon of availability himself, Leonard trumps even him as an injury-prone player. This isn’t even the first time Stephen A. has taken shots at Kawhi.
Stephen A. Smith Told Kawhi Leonard To Retire
When Leonard got hurt in the 2023 Playoffs, Stephen A. went on the air to lambast the Clippers star and say that team owner Steve Ballmer should force Leonard to retire due to his availability issues.
“He is the absolute worst superstar you could possibly have on your team. He’s barely ever there, and on top of it all, he does nothing to market or promote your franchise… Steve Ballmer and the Los Angeles Clippers should force Kawhi Leonard to retire.”
This statement caused quite an uproar, with ESPN’s Richard Jefferson criticizing his colleague as well as Paul George weighing into the situation. The sentiment espoused by Smith was considered extreme, especially because Kawhi cannot control when he gets hurt or doesn’t.
Leonard tried his best to stay available for the Clippers throughout the season, but he inevitably picked up injuries as we got into the later months. He even tried playing through a bad knee in the first round but averaged just 12.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in the two games he played.
Smith is a well-known voice in sports, so when he says things like this, they have a major impact on the discourse around these players. With Leonard missing another Playoff run for the Clippers, there will be legitimate questions raised about what the future of this team is.
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