“What the hell is up?” Stephen A. Smith fumes over Norman Powell and Kyrie Irving All-Star snubs
Stephen A. Smith went on a rant following the surprising All-Star snubs for Norman Powell and Kyrie Irving.
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Stephen A. Smith left confused over Norman Powell and Kyrie Irving All-Star snubs
The NBA’s All-Star selections have everyone up in arms about who should and who shouldn’t have been let in. While the All-Star starters were picked by the fans, media, and players combined, the All-Star reserves were chosen solely by the coaches. While there were many controversial selections, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes the snubs of Norman Powell and Kyrie Irving are the most egregious ones.
Appearing on ESPN’s primetime show First Take, Smith went on a lengthy rant declaring his issues with the NBA’s All-Star selections. He declared that he did not have an issue with some of the names being argued in general discourse as All-Star snubs. However, he was disappointed by the exclusion of two players: LA Clippers guard Norman Powell and Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving.
What the hell is up with Norman Powell? Why isn’t he on this team… He is flat-out balling.. All he does is show up to work consistently… Another person we need to mention is Kyrie Irving… Kyrie Irving is a show-stopper. If ever there was a person made for All-Star weekend, it’s Kyrie Irving… We got to look at what Kyrie Irving brings to the table and understand his greatness.
Stephen A Smith said on First Take
Both Norman Powell and Kyrie Irving have been dominant for their teams, providing crucial scoring for the team’s depraved of consistent offense. They have also played crucial roles for their respective teams in the absence of some of their superstar teammates. Powell, in particular, has been having a career year with the Clippers. He led the team in many games in the absence of an injured Kawhi Leonard.
.@stephenasmith takes issue with the fact that Norman Powell and Kyrie Irving aren't on the All-Star reserves list 😳 pic.twitter.com/pS0LsAHKWJ
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 31, 2025
However, Powell’s case is certainly a little more contentious, while the argument for not including Kyrie Irving in the All-Star game may be fairly absurd. He has done his best as the sole star on the Mavericks over the last month. Perhaps the most important aspect of his game, as Stephen A. Smith mentioned, is that no one knows how to entertain an audience quite like Kyrie Irving does.
All-Star viewership may continue downward trajectory in absence of Kyrie Irving, claims Stephen A. Smith
The All-Star game is truly the game that keeps on giving. There have been many controversial exclusions from the NBA’s marquee event. As they look to drive viewership up after a series of low-viewership seasons, the NBA might be messing up by excluding Kyrie Irving. Stephen A. Smith emphasized the brilliance that Irving brings onto the court, but especially his entertaining value.
As one of the most dynamic stars in the NBA, Irving is everything that an audience would want to see. The 8-time All-Star has been a part of the All-Star game for a major chunk of the last decade. He even won the 2014 NBA All-Star MVP. However, this would mean that his exclusion will certainly hamper the already ‘boring’ All-Star game.
While NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has been concerned about the future of the league, going as far as to propose playing 10-minute quarters, there is sometimes a rather simple solution to events like the All-Star game and picking its All-Stars.
The NBA is a personality-driven league. Watching some of the most fascinating hoopers with one of the biggest fanbases in basketball is sometimes the right answer in delivering viewership is letting the best in the game go mano-e-mano.
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Armaan Gupta
(383 Articles Published)