Stephen A. Smith makes Kawhi Leonard argument as to why he isn’t sold on Los Angeles Clippers’ playoff odds

Stephen A. Smith noted how Kawhi Leonard's lack of postseason availability renders the team virtually rudderless every year

Stephen A. Smith makes Kawhi Leonard argument as to why he isn’t sold on Los Angeles Clippers’ playoff odds

Stephen A. Smith, Kawhi Leonard (Images via Wikipedia)

One occurrence that has bugged the Los Angeles Clippers’ championship chances perennially is the injury troubles they’ve encountered. The team has usually had the wherewithal to compete – at least over the past 14 NBA seasons – but one injury or the other has always halted their postseason journey. This happened time and again during their Lob City era, and it hasn’t stopped biting them in the Kawhi Leonard era either.

The last – and only – time Kawhi managed to suit up for every game of their postseason in Los Angeles was in 2020. After the Clippers took a 3-1 lead in the Conference semifinals before blowing it, Leonard has never been the same. The Klaw has been fit for large chunks of regular season play, but his chronically degenerative knee issue keeps flaring up in the postseason.

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It is for this reason that onlookers like Stephen A. Smith, among others, have given up on their expectations with his teams. The ESPN superstar noted how Leonard’s lack of postseason availability renders the team virtually rudderless every year.

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The reason I’m not sold on the Clippers is because I’m just looking at my watch and I’m just looking at the dates in the calendar and I’m just waiting for Kawhi Leonard to get hurt, that’s all. I know that come playoff time, he’s not gonna be available. Molly (Qerim), I’m not letting this go. This is a man that went into a playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, dropped 38, walked off the court, looked perfectly fine, and then 4 o’ clock the next day we hear he’s out for the year.

Stephen A. Smith explained

Smith continued expounding on how Leonard’s injuries seem to always be shrouded in mystery. He compared his troubles to those of Paul George, who himself has had a chequered injury record in LA. Jalen Brunson was another name to come up in the same vein, in contrast to Kawhi.

It is hard to dismiss what Stephen A. Smith has said about the Clippers superstar and handwave away Leonard’s repeated absences. With his track record and degenerative knee issues cropping up time and again, there can never be a safe moment when fans can rest assured when it comes to his availability, especially during the postseason.

Stephen A. Smith once said Kawhi Leonard is the worst superstar in the history of sports

What Smith said about the Clippers’ franchise superstar is but a watered-down version of his earlier critiques for Leonard. Stephen A. Smith has, in the past, referred to Leonard as the ‘worst superstar in the history of sports’.

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 going to 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. And I mean it. And I seen him in the arena last night, him and his uncle and everybody else and I told them to their face. The worst. The worst!

Stephen A. Smith had said in 2024

With how much of a tease Leonard has been over the past 6 seasons since winning his second Finals MVP trophy, it is hard to place any blame on Smith for his outspoken critiques. However, as fans of the sport, one would hope that Leonard is able to pull off another playoff run to cap his career out. It would be tragic to look at a 2-time Finals MVP as a what-if, that’s for sure.