Stephen A. Smith Reveals Receiving Calls Within 4 Hours of Labeling Kawhi Leonard a ‘Gangster’

Among all the critics who called out Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers, no one was louder than longtime analyst Stephen A. Smith, regardless of the platform he was on.

His criticism started when the two-time Finals MVP repeatedly missed games while with what is now his former team. At the time, the Queens, New York native said Leonard was the worst superstar in sports history.

Smith continued that narrative every time he spoke about the forward, irrespective of who was speaking with him or the platform. There was a situation where Clippers head coach Ty Lue had to defend his then-superstar player, but that did not stop the ESPN analyst from continuing his rants.

Then, Stephen A. Smith ramped up his narrative when the NBA finally levied massive fines on the Clippers for salary-cap circumvention. The father of two kept reiterating that the 35-year-old got away with a meagre $700,000 fine when his team destroyed their competitive balance for the next several years.

He used the word ‘gangster’ to label what Leonard had done, as if to suggest that gangsters swindle their target and escape to another country once their ‘scam’ becomes public. Smith did the same when he was on First Take earlier. But four hours later, he said this while on his namesake show.

There are some people who will remain nameless that reached out to me. They told me to stop calling him a gangster. Because their opinion is that that’s going a bit too far.

Stephen A. Smith said

This is not the first time the 58-year-old has received a call from others, or been mocked because of what he said about a player. But he admitted that calling Leonard a gangster was detrimental to the Black community.

Stephen A. Smith doubles down on criticism towards Kawhi Leonard

After revealing how he got calls from people about his use of the word ‘gangster’ to define Kawhi Leonard, Stephen A. Smith then went on to say why he used that term.

He cheated, he got paid, he got caught. Then he cut his uncle loose, who was representing him. Then he cut the Clippers loose, threw them under the table. Cut a deal with the NBA via the players’ association… He avoided arbitration. He left the Clippers… After that, he left the country.

Stephen A. Smith said

After detailing what the seven-time All-Star did, the ESPN executive producer then went on to say that he agrees with those who called him out that using the ‘gangster’ term might be a bit too much.

He promised to not use the term again, but reiterated that his ‘disgust’ towards Leonard would not change. In fact, if the Klaw continues to deserve criticism, he would be one of the first to say so.

Scottie Barnes has hilarious reaction to reporter talking about Kawhi Leonard

While most of the consensus is that Kawhi Leonard essentially hoodwinked the Los Angeles Clippers and got away with it, the Toronto Raptors certainly do not feel that way.

That Canadian franchise has wanted this reunion for a long time, and did not hesitate to bring the player who won their only championship back. They are probably convinced that he will not try to place demands as he did back in 2019 now that the entire world is watching Leonard’s every move.

The team and its players have shown excitement for his return, as was evident whenever a CTV reporter spoke out the California native’s name. Every time Sean Leathong said so, Scottie Barnes, who was standing behind him, relayed that excitement.

Scottie Barnes had some fun while CTV’s Sean Leathong was live on air 😭💀

(via CTV/CP24) pic.twitter.com/8nNp2PyaZP

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 24, 2026

This shows that the young All-Star is probably happy to have a championship-winning veteran alongside him as the Raptors look to switch gears in the upcoming season.

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