“You can’t go out there being anti-semitic,” Charles Barkley defends Stephen A. Smith’s criticism of Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving has led by example in the playoff series, helping the Dallas Mavericks to within 1 game of reaching the NBA Finals.

“You can’t go out there being anti-semitic,” Charles Barkley defends Stephen A. Smith’s criticism of Kyrie Irving

Charles Barkley defends Stephen A. Smith for criticizing Kyrie Irving back in the day, says the Dallas Mavericks superstar has matured now

Kyrie Irving has proved a lot of his doubters wrong with his stupendous play in these playoffs. Among those doubters was Stephen A. Smith, who had called out the now Dallas Mavericks superstar for ignoring the game of basketball and focusing on other things. But Charles Barkley came out in support of Smith. Suggesting that Irving should have checked what he talked about.

Kenny Smith first talked about how Kyrie Irving was targeted by the media and Stephen A. Smith. In response Barkley said:

He self-inflicted itself. He got to take some responsibility. I think he's grown up, I think he's matured. Stephen A and other people criticized him, and he rightly deserved it. You can't go out there being antisemitic. You know you can do vaccine thing, that's your own thing. But he deserved the criticism he got, he deserved the suspension he got.
Charles Barkley on NBA on TNT

Barkley took Stephen A. Smith‘s side for criticizing Irving back in the day. After all, he was talking about things that had hurt people.

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Therefore, at the time when the Dallas Mavericks superstar decided to talk about social problems, he went ahead without thinking about the ramifications of what he said. That is when the ESPN analyst went all out at the NBA champion for hurting people and not doing the job he was paid to do.

Charles Barkley did add that Kyrie Irving has grown up and matured to put those things to the side. Now that his focus is on the job he is paid for, he has done it excellently. Leading the Dallas Mavericks to almost confirm a trip to the NBA Finals.

Kyrie Irving is 5 wins away from redemption

Kyrie Irving has leaned on that maturity to lead the Dallas Mavericks. But for that, he needed a lot of things to go his way. First was that the Dallas community embraced him. That itself brings a level of comfort that can help a superstar athlete focus on the job at hand. Then, his teammates have embraced him as their leader.

It has been evident throughout the season as even Luka Doncic took a voluntary step back to help Irving help him and the team. That has not only allowed Irving to take an indirect leadership role but also made the team work around him from time to time. Now he is about to repay them after putting up probably one of the best playoff series of his career.

If he manages to take them all the way, and that too beating his former team, the Boston Celtics in the process, he will gain redemption over all the negativities. After all, he spoke out for a reason, but without a solid stand in terms of his basketball accomplishments. Now he will finally have that.

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