Another NBA season is here, which means Stephen A. Smith has another opportunity to remind everyone how he feels about Kawhi Leonard.
Smith thinks Leonard is a superstar, which seems like a compliment. But he also thinks Leonard is the worst superstar in sports history, which definitely isn’t a compliment.
Stephen A. Smith with a brutal takedown of Kawhi Leonard as the worst superstar ever.
“He is a poster child for what NOT to be as a star in any sport. Period!” pic.twitter.com/qc1xQ7tXET
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 24, 2024
“I’m going to say it for the last time, he is a superstar when he is healthy,” Smith said Thursday morning on First Take. “On the basketball court, easily, as far as I’m concerned, top-5 player on the planet. That’s why superstar is appropriate when it comes to talking about his skillset.
“I can make a legitimate argument that Kawhi Leonard is the worst superstar in the history of any sport. You can’t have somebody like that and it’s beneficial, who’s gonna miss work half the time and does absolutely nothing to promote your product or your brand. He is a poster child for what NOT to be as a star in any sport. Period!”
Time will tell whether this is really going to be the last time Smith calls Leonard the worst superstar in sports history, but it definitely wasn’t the first time. Smith has made a habit out of criticizing Leonard in recent seasons, even doing so earlier this year after the Clippers signed head coach Tyronn Lue to a massive contract extension.
And in his latest rant, Smith even claimed he would have told this to Leonard’s face had the Clippers superstar been in attendance during their season-opener Wednesday night. If that’s the case, it’s reasonable to assume Smith will say this at least one more time, the next time he sees Leonard in person.
Leonard is a frustrating superstar for the Clippers and their fans because of his mounting injury history. But it’s hard to call a superstar with two championships and two NBA Finals MVPs on their resume the “worst” at anything performance related.
Smith can point to the fact that he at least calls Leonard a superstar, it’s not like he’s attempting to label him a bust or fraud. But there’s vitriol in his tone. Smith seems to get pleasure out of calling Leonard the worst superstar in sports history and maybe it’s because he knows Leonard will never publicly fight back.
