Stephen A. Smith has had enough of one NBA star.
His anger came after it was announced Los Angles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
In response to his most recent injury, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith says he should retire.
‘I’m not questioning his heart, I’m not questioning his courage, I’m not questioning any of that,” Smith said of Leonard on First Take this morning. “The man is a two-time champion. He’s a two-time [Finals] MVP…But 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.”
The two-time Finals MVP missed the final three games of the Clippers’ first-round series against the Phoenix Suns due to the injury. On Tuesday, the team was officially eliminated from the playoffs following a 136-130 loss to the Phoenix Suns in Game 5.
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The All-Star forward reportedly suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee sometime during the series against the Suns, per The Athletic.
Leonard’s entire tenure with the Clippers has been him dealing with various injuries, most notably an ACL tear that cost him the entire 2021-22 season. He has been regularly held out of back-to-backs for several years for injury management dating back to his time with the Toronto Raptors.
While no injury is ideal, it occurring now, in April, gives him a significant amount of time to recover before the start of the 2023-24 season.
Leonard has one year remaining on his current contract with the Clippers and a player option for 2024-25. He is set to make over $45 million next season.
