← The Stephen A. Smith Show
The Stephen A. Smith Show
Full Show: State of the NBA update with Two-time NBA Champion and Clippers Coach Tyronn Lue.
00:55:56
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- [00:00]
Hunter
Geico's motorcycle expertise means I'm covered by people who know bikes like I do.
- [00:05]
Stephen A. Smith
I'm happy as a clam. No conclusive scientific research has shown clams can experience happiness.
- [00:10]
Hunter
It just meant that I feel really.
- [00:11]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Good about my coverage.
- [00:12]
Stephen A. Smith
I mean, even if you took the clam out for the best day ever, visiting the zoo, taking a scenic ride, knowing you're insured by specialists, and sharing a strawberry ice cream cone together, the clam would not feel happy and your strawberry cone would taste sort of clammy. Geico's motorcycle specialists who know bikes like you do, assume no liability for clammy ice cream cones. GEICO expertise for your motorcycle what's up everyone?
- [00:31]
Greg Rosenthal
It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101 free agents, we'll have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [01:14]
Ty Lue
What's up everybody? Welcome to this special edition of the Stephen A. Smith show, usually coming at you three days a week over the digital airwaves of you and iheartradio. As always, I'd like to thank my subscribers and followers for contributing to the show. Keep it coming and I'm gonna keep on coming. I consider this a special edition of the Stephen A. Smith show because I'm about to have a conversation with somebody that I've been wanting to talk to for a while. And it's not really just about him. It's about who he is and what he represents. He's the coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. His name is Ty Lue. He's universally recognized as one of the best coaches in basketball. He just finished being an assistant coach on Team USA and helping them capture a gold medal. He's a champion, coaching LeBron James in Cleveland to his only championship and helping to erase a 52 year curse in that sense city from championships. He's done a lot in his career. I find myself looking at him and thinking about him and saying to myself, I love me some Steve Ballmer, the owner of the Clippers. I root for the Clippers, hoping that they'll achieve a level of success that validates their existence per se. But I gotta tell you, there's two things that come to my mind when it comes to Ty Lue. Number one, why the hell was he not the head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers all of these years? And number two, why the hell would you want to stay with the Clippers with Kawhi Leonard as your resident star? I think those are legitimate questions to ask. I think they're necessary because I think it provides insight into who Ty Lue is, what he's been about, and what he's trying to make the Clippers all about again. One of the best coaches in the NBA. Ty Lue, up next with your boy Stephen A. Right here on the Stephen A. Smith Show. Be right back at you. Okay, everybody, you know what time it is, right? It's time for Stephen A. Sports picks. Everybody already knows. I live and breathe sports all the time. But if you're like me, you need to be right there in the middle of all the action. So how do you solve that problem? I'll tell you how. You use Prizepix. That's how. You see, Prizepix is the largest daily fantasy sports platform in all the land with over 3 million members. Okay, with prize picks, you just choose two, three, or even up to six of your favorite players and then pick more or less on their project. The stats for the game. Choose all the players you love to watch. Jalen Hurts, Klay Thompson, even Cooper cup, all in the same entry. And get this, sign up with code SAS and prize picks will give you fifty dollars instantly when you play your first five dollar lineup. You don't need to win your lineup to receive the $50 bonus. It's guaranteed. All you have to do is play a $5 lineup on prize picks and you'll get $50 instantly. Now let's look at my winning picks today. Picking for this weekend's NFL games. First up, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Facing the Los Angeles Chargers. More or less than 260 and a half passing yards. It's Patrick Mahomes, y'all. It's Patrick Mahomes. I know that the Chargers are improved. I know they're winning football games. I know Jim Harbaugh is doing this thing. I know their defense is nothing too shabby to sneeze at or whatever the case may be. But it's Patrick Mahomes. I'll be damned if I'm going with less when it comes to him. Of course I'm going with more. More for Patrick Mahomes. Next up, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson facing the Cleveland Browns defense More or less than 232 and a half yards passing. Look, I just saw Russell Wilson throw for for 400 yards, albeit against the Cincinnati Bengals. Defense can't stop a cold, particularly in the red zone. I get that part. I watched the Cleveland Browns lose on Monday night to the Denver Broncos even though they gave up 41. I mean, damn, Jameis Winston as the quarterback gave up 14 by his damn self. Okay? That's what the problem was. Wasn't their fault. All right, but still, when you're talking about this, I just have to say I have to go with more. All right, you're going up against Cleveland. It's got to be more than 232 and a half passing yards, right? Finally, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield playing the Las Vegas Raiders. More or less than 238 and a half passing yards. First of all, you're going to snap the ball as the quarterback going to remember Aiden O'Connor. Is he going to remember to catch the ball when it's tapped to him? Is he going to remember the fact that he's playing the quarterback position and the ball actually gets snapped to you and you got to pay attention and make sure you catch the damn ball so you can drop back the pass and throw the damn football? Is he going to remember that? That's a legitimate question. Has nothing to do with this particular answer though. Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay going against Las Vegas Raiders defense. I'm going to go with more because they're just better and they'll find a way to be better and they'll have more. So we're going to go with more. Let's go and review it all together. All right. Patrick Mahomes. More. Russell Wilson. More. Baker Mayfield. More.
- [06:20]
Stephen A. Smith
More, more, more.
- [06:22]
Ty Lue
I believe all three of these teams gonna win, by the way. That's just how it goes when you're on prospects. More usually equates to wins, not just yards. And that means money. You feel me?
- [06:35]
Hunter
I'm Hunter, host of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share bite sized stories of missing and murdered black women and girls in America. There are several ways we can all do better at protecting black women. My contribution is shining a light on our missing sisters and amplifying their disregarded stories. Stories like Tameka Anderson. As she drove toward Galvez, she was in contact with several people talking on the phone as she made her way to what should have been a routine transaction. But Tameka never bought the car and she never returned home that day. One Podcast one mission Save our girls. Join the search as we explore the chilling cases of missing and murdered black women and girls. Listen to Hunting for Answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [07:38]
Julie Stewart-Banks
It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League, and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.
- [07:48]
Nate Thompson
I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say, and not just about hockey.
- [07:55]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's gonna be, well, it's gonna be quite the ride. We're officially linemates, Nate. We're the Energy line.
- [08:07]
Nate Thompson
We'll have plenty of folks join us. Current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers, and wait till you see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex.
- [08:16]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Okay. We'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do. Provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?
- [08:28]
Nate Thompson
I'm vibing Julie. I'm ready to roll.
- [08:31]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [08:42]
Ty Lue
He is a champion. He's also one of the greatest coaches in the game. Today he is the head coach for the Los Angeles Clippers. His name is Mr. Ty Lu. What's going on, coach? How you doing, man? How's everything?
- [08:53]
Stephen A. Smith
I'm good. How you doing?
- [08:54]
Ty Lue
I'm trying to figure it out, coach. I'm really trying to figure it out. How the hell. At the time of this recording, y'all are four games over.500. You're 13 and nine on the season. You had a recent five game winning streak, won seven of your last nine. How the hell have you been doing it?
- [09:09]
Stephen A. Smith
Well, it's been a combination of a lot of things. First of all, our coaching staff. Our coaching staff is great. You know, add to Jeff Van Gundy, but the helps of Brian Shaw, Larry drew, Jay Laran O'Connor, you know, Jeremy Castleberry, Dante Jones, Cookie, Chris Hogan, you know, a lot of guys just, you know, stay in the course. Understand that Kawhi is going to be out for a while, but just giving our guys confidence, giving our young guys confidence. And I give a lot of credit to our players like we don't care who's on the floor. We think we got a chance to win every single night. And so that's our mindset. That's been our model for the last five years. And I give credit to, like I said, my coaching staff as well as our players.
- [09:46]
Ty Lue
Tell me what Jeff Van Gundy being added to that coaching staff has done for you guys because just speaking league wide, we all know what a great basketball mind he is, what an outstanding coach he was in New York and Houston as a head coach and assistant under Pat Riley for all of those years prior to that, came to ESPN and abc, did an outstanding job calling gays for us. I still miss Jeff Van Gundy a whole lot. What has he meant to your coaching staff and why specifically? What has he brought to the table?
- [10:15]
Stephen A. Smith
He's brought an edge, you know, he's brought an edge, Stephen A to our team defensively, no nonsense. And you know, he's not happy unless he's mad, you know, so, you know, he never wants to smile, but I, I, I get to crack a few smiles here and there. But just his attention to detail, I think the way he loves it, like he's passionate about his job. And so when A team scores 115 points, I mean he's in the office, you know, all night, probably doesn't even go home. And so I pride myself on getting to the office early and try to be there early and I get in at 7:30, 8:00. He's been there since 5:30, you know, and that's just like when he, when he raised your level far as coaching for other coaches to see that the season in the office at 5:30, working every single day, every single night to get better. And so our young coaches can see that they can grow from that as well. And so he just brought a no nonsense, you know, edge, you know, a tough edge to us and to our team, which has been great and we definitely needed that.
- [11:11]
Ty Lue
Well, I guess they need a double whammy of it because as far as I'm concerned, everything you just said, that's how people would describe you. No nonsense. You're detailed, oriented, no nonsense, know what the hell you're doing. You prioritize defense as well. Obviously your record speak for itself. So basically you got your twin on your coaching staff. Is it that, is that a fair thing to say?
- [11:30]
Stephen A. Smith
No. Now it's gotta be good cop, bad cop.
- [11:34]
Ty Lue
I got you.
- [11:36]
Stephen A. Smith
Yeah, I'm detailed, but I like to have, I like to be, you know, have fun. I like for the environment to be relaxed, but also doing things the right way. And so I give a lot of credit to our veterans, but, you know, one specifically is James Harden. Like, he's been great, you know, through training camp, through just helping our young guys get better, teaching them how to work every single day, playing every single day. And he's been phenomenal for us all year, as well as Norman Powell and, you know, Nick Btoom and our veteran guy. So it's been, it's been a great environment.
- [12:02]
Ty Lue
Powell has been a starter for you this year. He's, you know, always coming off the bench throughout his career. But the brothers shooting 49% from the field, 49% from three point range, I don't think you anticipated that, but obviously you expected him to be effective. It seems to be a challenge that he has embraced. Talk about what that has meant to the team in terms of Norman Power's contribution.
- [12:23]
Stephen A. Smith
You know, with Norm, he's always been a really good player, you know, but with our circumstances with, you know, PG and Kawhi started the 2 and 3, he didn't have an opportunity to start and play as many men's as he wanted to. But he's always been a talent. And I tell you, Stephen, that he works so hard, you know, every single day. And I think, you know, he's 30 now, so working the way he works, I think sometimes is too much. But he's a hard worker. He puts work in every single day. And I'm just happy and thankful he got the opportunity. He's taking advantage of it as well as, you know, Zubak, who's been really good for us this year as well.
- [12:53]
Ty Lue
Listen, you've always been protective of your players. You're a class act. You should be the role that I play. I don't have to worry about such things like that. I got the call. Balls and strikes like I see it per se. And we all know, and all of y'all have checked me from time to time, as you rightfully should. When I've gotten on Kawhi Leonard, I certainly have never accused him of faking injuries. I know his injuries are legitimate, but I find myself so frustrated because when this dude is on the court, he is one of the top five elite players in the game. But he's almost never available, especially for you in the post season. Could you put into your own words how frustrating, if at all, that has been for you as a coach who's coached in championship series, who's won a championship, who knows what it takes to win Championships. What has that been like for you, having to deal with your superstar player almost never available when it counts?
- [13:48]
Stephen A. Smith
Well, first off, I just want to just let people know, you know, from Kawhi standpoint, like, for him, it's more frustrating. Like, he wants to be on the floor. Like, he wants to play every single night. And it just, you know, it's like, it's just a bad timing. Like, it's not like he said, okay, we get to the playoffs, I don't want to play. Like, it's been some. Some tough days, you know, some tough nights. And, you know, I've talked to Kawhi. Nice. Where he's, you know, almost cried just talking about, you know, how he's let the team down. But you can't. You can't do anything about injuries. And he's another guy that works extremely hard every single day to be on the floor, to be on the court, and it's just some, you know, unfortunate luck. I mean, like you said. I heard you say one day he has 35, and next day he doesn't play. But it's not by design. Like, I mean, this guy works hard every single day, Stephen. In the weight room, on the court, on his game, everything, every single day. And it's just sad for me because, like, I see the work he puts in our players, see the work he puts in our organization sees it, and then when it's time to play, he can go. And a lot of time, like, it's myself or our organization, like, hey, listen, Kawhi, you, like, 40%, like, you can't go out there on the floor because you're gonna make. You gonna make it even worse. And so that's what I want to say, first of all, like, Kawhi is a hell of a worker. He's a hard worker, and like you say, the top five player when he's healthy. And it just.
- [15:05]
Hunter
He.
- [15:05]
Stephen A. Smith
He's been unfortunate, you know, with. With the. With the injury bug. But it's not from a lack of work, and it's not from a lack of wanting to be on the floor. For me, I just know, like I said, if I had PG Kawhi, like I said in James, in the playoffs or even before James got there, I think I could win at a high level. You know, that's the pressure that I put on myself. That's the staff that our staff puts on. On ourselves that, you know, if I. If we'd have been healthy, I think we could win at a high level. And just. We haven't had that opportunity. So, you know, hopefully this year, like I said, he's been working really hard. You know, he's getting close. He's been doing everything he needs to do. So hopefully this year, like, we can have a strong, deep run when he comes back. But it's been very, very unfortunate, like I said, because I do want to see, like, when we're fully healthy, you know, what we could have done, what we could have been.
- [15:50]
Ty Lue
Well, that's what my frustration has been like for you. I mean, you're a champion as a player with the Lakers. You're a champion as a coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Again, your reputation and your resume speaks for itself. And there's been times where you've. You've literally reached out to me and told me to calm the hell down. You were kind of about it, but that's what you told me because I was sitting up there. I like, I. He should leave the Clippers. I mean, why the hell should he stay? Because, damn it, he can't coach the team that he wants to coach because they're never available. What has your level of frustration been like knowing what you can do, knowing what you have done, but also knowing that you don't have the pieces you're supposed to have to legitimately position yourself for an NBA championship?
- [16:31]
Stephen A. Smith
Yeah, it's frustrating because I want to win. Like, that's my main goal. And our video coordinator, Fitz, he said one thing about tlu, he only care about feelings. He wants to win tonight, you know, so we'll take care of tomorrow. Tomorrow. And so for me, it's always about winning and putting yourself in position to win and, you know, nothing like Kawhi, like, to me, Stephen, you. You are the best. And it's just like, okay, so you lost your voice. Would you want to quit? Would you want to quit doing it? Or you're going to try to fight to come back and keep coming back and keep coming back. And that's kind of like, you know, situation. Kawhi's there. Like, why would he quit? He's still young. He's still at the top of the game when he plays. And it's just unfortunate luck, but he's doing everything he can to get back on the floor.
- [17:09]
Ty Lue
Was I wrong when I went ballistic this summer when I heard that he was going to try to join Team USA and almost lost, almost had a heart attack? They're like, oh, no, you've been hurt during the regulars. You got to make sure you ready for the Clippers. The hell with teams. Team usa, they can get gold without you. Was I wrong for feeling that way towards Lawrence Frank and Steve Ballmer and saying, the hell with all of that Team USA stuff, you need him with the help. Help for the upcoming Clippers season?
- [17:34]
Stephen A. Smith
Yeah, I think so. I think because, you know, when players have goals in mind and like he was feeling good, but also it was a good thing for us because, you know, when he left Team USA and you know, he started to see that he wasn't where he wanted to be. Then we was able to go back and re evaluate because we thought he was further along than he was. I thought at USA he had some really good days, you know. And so after USA was over, he continued to go back and work out and then we saw certain things that wasn't good. And so we was able to catch it early on and we started the process earlier and so it's actually was really good for us. It was like. It was a blessing in disguise really. But it's something that Kawhi wanted to do. You know, he's tired of being, you know, not playing because he wants to compete was a chance for him to compete on a high level. And so he wanted to be a part of that, to get his name back out there going into next season. And unfortunately it just didn't work out.
- [18:23]
Ty Lue
How you feel about Paul George being gone?
- [18:27]
Stephen A. Smith
You know, we miss pg. Like, when you lose a talent like PG that could score the basketball, that can guard, you know, five different positions on the floor, that's a tough loss, you know. And so I know he had to do what's best for him and for his family as far as the fourth year and getting the max and, you know, who could turn down an extra $70 million, like, you know, like, you know, especially. Especially, you know, going to the final stages of your career. So I understood that. But it's hard. You know, I wanted to win a championship for Mr. Bomber and Lawrence Frank and for the Clippers organization. And I wanted PG and Kawhi to be a part of it because they're from la and to come to the Clippers instead of going to the Lakers. I thought it was a huge. It was huge for the Clippers. It was huge for the Clippers following the found and fan support that they wanted to come to the Clippers and win a championship. And so I thought we could have stayed healthy. I thought we had a real strong shot at doing that. And unfortunately we just never could. But, you know, losing pg, that's a big loss. When you lose a player like, of his caliber, that is. Is hard.
- [19:27]
Ty Lue
What's the thought that you have in your mind when people will come at a Ty Lu or Steve Ballmer or anybody else and say, you know what? If you had to choose between a PG and a Kawhi Leonard, PG is the one you should have taken. Because even though he's just. He's injury prone himself, the bottom line is that it doesn't appear to be as severe as of a situation as it has been with Kawhi Leonard that you might have invested in the wrong superstar. Because in terms strictly in regards to injury or availability. What do you say to that?
- [19:57]
Stephen A. Smith
No, I don't believe that. I mean, you know, like I said, Kawhi, when he's healthy, like he's on the floor, he's a top five talent, you know, and PG, like I said, he's a top 10, 15 talent. But, you know, both of those guys have had their share of injuries. And it's, like I said, it's not from the lack of working hard or wanting to be on the floor putting the work in. It's just from a lack of, like I said, bad luck. And so if you have a chance to get, you know, Kawhi Leonard, who's a top five player in the NBA, you can't. You can't let that go. And you just got to have prayers and hopes that know, one day, finally he's going to be able to. To sustain and play a whole season and get through the playoffs, which hasn't been the case. But, you know, I don't. I don't think we made the wrong decision at all.
- [20:37]
Ty Lue
When you look at the Western Conference and you look at your team right now, obviously, if the game, the players were to begin today, at the time of this taping, y'all are the seventh seed. Lakers are 12 and eight at the time, y'all are 13 and nine. They were six seed. You would be a seventh seed. You'd be in the play in tournament or what have you. How good should we anticipate this particular Clippers squad is going to be with Kawhi coming back? Am I to hold on to him coming back? Tyloo?
- [21:03]
Stephen A. Smith
Am I coming back? He's coming back.
- [21:05]
Ty Lue
Am I to hold on to that, Tyloo?
- [21:06]
Stephen A. Smith
Yes. Hold on to it. Yes, sir.
- [21:08]
Ty Lue
When is he coming back?
- [21:10]
Stephen A. Smith
When?
- [21:10]
Ty Lue
When's he coming back?
- [21:11]
Stephen A. Smith
We don't have a timetable, but I guarantee you he'll be back. I guarantee that. Like. Like Chuck says, I guarantee.
- [21:18]
Ty Lue
Oh, my Lord. Now, you know, every time Chuck you know, every time Chuck, as in Charles Walkley, said that 90% of the time, his ass is wrong. You know that, right?
- [21:26]
Stephen A. Smith
We taking the 10%.
- [21:28]
Ty Lue
We taking the 10%. We taking a 10%. All right, so, so, so, so what's the expectation for the Clippers this season?
- [21:34]
Stephen A. Smith
You know, just holding the four down till Kawhi gets back, and then I expect this to be a playoff team. And when we get to the playoffs, like I said, it could be a lower seed. So you're gonna have to face, you know, the OKCs or the Denver Nuggets or those top teams in the west, because, you know, with our best player being out, we just got to try to stay afloat. But once we get to the playoffs and we able to put our schemes in and do different things, I'm. I like our chances. So we just got to continue to just, you know, stay right there in that, you know, 5, 6, 7, 8 spot until Kawhi gets back, you know, making sure we're in the playing at worst and then just going from there. But I think we can make a strong run with the, you know, additions of, you know, Derek Jones Jr. Chris Dunn, getting Nick Baton back, you know, Mo Bamba, Kevin Porter. We're really good defensively, and, you know, you add Kawhi to that, defensively, we're really, really good. You know, so I like our chances. You know, we really been struggling to score the basketball at times. You know, when you're missing your best player and the system is mostly built around a player like Kawhi. It could get tough offensively, but I don't fault our guys. We scrap and compete every single night. STEPHEN A. And that's all you can ask for from a young team, from a team that just, you know, scrapped to finding a way to try to win games.
- [22:44]
Ty Lue
I got to step back and give James Harden some love, but still ask a relatively intriguing question. I think about James Harden, and, you know, he's taking hits from myself, but many, many others. You know, the way he departed from Houston, the way he departed from Philadelphia, ultimately, the way he departed from Brooklyn, right? And he was taking hits. But I was saying to folks, for the most part, this guy has always been somebody you could rely on. He wanted to play. He's not looking for time off and stuff like that. So obviously, certain situations, obviously, he feels the way that he feels about Daryl Mory. He put that out there along with certain situations that happen. In the end, when I look at him with the Clippers now averaging about 35 minutes a game, hasn't missed a game. Okay. I think he's averaging about 20. What is it? Was it 22, 23, 22 a game. Did you expect this from James Harden?
- [23:35]
Stephen A. Smith
I did. You know I did. I just saw when he came in last year and how he finished the last. Last half of the season. I know he could do it. I mean, he's done it for years. Like you said in Houston, carrying teams, making guys better, you know, getting wins. And he's done the same thing this year. Like I said, I know he's older, but he still has the mindset to, you know, to be great and still has a mindset to make guys better. And like you said, he plays every night, he practices every night. He's another guy. Like Norm. Like, we don't. We think he does too much, you know, as far as working on his game. Like after shoot around, he's there for an hour after practice, he's there for an hour, you know, working on his game. But that's what's gotten here so far, so you can't be mad at that. But I mean, he's an exceptional talent. He's a hard worker, and like you said, every single night, you know, he wants to play.
- [24:20]
Ty Lue
How do you feel about being in your new arena, the Intuit Dome? I like it a lot. It's definitely upscale. I love the fact that y'all got your own home instead of sharing the crypto.com arena with the Los Angeles Lakers. How y'all feeling about that?
- [24:33]
Stephen A. Smith
I feel great. You know, I think there's a place to call home. I think Mr. Ballmer, from day one, when he first took over the team, said that he wanted to get us our own home and own arena. And this is the best arena I ever been in, you know, basketball wise. And, you know, for our fans to come to a place where it's our home for our players to be able to shoes and leave their, you know, their bags and stuff in a locker room because you know you're coming back to your own locker room. You ain't got to worry about concerts being held and, you know, your. Your lockers are wrapped up. I come into my office, my tables, I bring chairs on top of my tables and everything because somebody's here on a concert there, so they use the locker room to kind of get through. And so it feels really good, man. It's just a place to call home. And it's been great.
- [25:14]
Ty Lue
How are you feeling about yourself? Five years, $70 million deal in May. Well deserved by that I actually thought you should have got paid more. I thought they got. I thought they got you for a bargain. That's my personal opinion.
- [25:25]
Stephen A. Smith
Okay.
- [25:25]
Ty Lue
Because that's how I felt about it. I was on the record stating that. But nevertheless, it's a pretty hefty salary. It's well deserved. I have to ask you, though, how are you feeling about your place in the game at this particular moment in time, considering the fact there's no Paul George, there's no Kawhi, there's minimal expectations for the Los Angeles Clippers, and you're not accustomed to being associated with that. Usually, wherever you are, there's huge expectations. That's not necessarily the case right now.
- [25:55]
Stephen A. Smith
Yeah. What's the case? For me, like, I think this is a chance for me to try to show how good I can be along with my staff as far as, like, you know, Kawhi being out, you know, Norman Powell missing six of the 21 games and still have a chance to make the playoffs and. And make some noise in the playoffs. And so these are some of your opportunities where you can try to, you know, show people, like, your coaching ability and things that you can do. So, you know, I put the pressure on myself to be good and to make the playoffs, and when we get to the playoffs, you know, that's a different animal and different beast, and that's where I excel. So for me, I put the pressure on myself, no matter who's on the floor, you know, so who's out, who left or whatever, and we just got to be, you know, locked in and understand what we're trying to do. And so I never. No matter who's on my team, I never say the pressure is not on me because I want the pressure on me, because.
- [26:47]
Ty Lue
Do you consider yourself one of the best coaches in the NBA? How long have you felt that way about yourself?
- [26:57]
Stephen A. Smith
You know, I think let's go all the way back to Cleveland.
- [27:01]
Ty Lue
Okay.
- [27:01]
Stephen A. Smith
You know, I would say, you know, when coach David Black got fired and they wanted me to take over, I'm not gonna lie, I was scared. You know, I didn't. You know, I locked the room, you know, was in disarray. We wasn't really getting along as good as we wanted to. And so when you had to move over, like I said, those six inches, it was hard, and I was scared, you know, and like I said, if it wasn't for Jerry west and Doc Rivers telling me that I had to take that job, I don't know if I would have done it. You know, the reason why I didn't sign the extension when I took over, because I was like, listen, if it doesn't work out, I'm going somewhere else, you know, so, like, I wasn't going to be just, you know, locked into Cleveland, you know, it was scary. You coaching LeBron James, the best player in the world, you know, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and, you know, David Blatt already went to the NBA Finals the year before.
- [27:51]
Ty Lue
Right?
- [27:52]
Stephen A. Smith
You know, so if I don't get to least Game 7 of the NBA Finals, I was a bust, you know, and so it was a lot of pressure, you know, and so I think, you know, when I took over, I sat down with Kyrie, Kevin Love, and LeBron, I said, Listen, these are things we got to change. These are things we got to get better at, and you got to hold responsibility for what we're trying to do. And they said, listen, Tilu, whatever you want to do, you know, we're 100 on board, and we're fully committed. And so that made it a lot easier. But, you know, winning that championship, it wasn't easy, you know, and I had a. You know, I put in a lot of work. Our coach put in a lot of work. But when you have, you know, LeBron James, who's the best player in the world, he's going to get, you know, most of the credit, which he deserves and what she should. And so I think when I got to the Clippers and had a chance to kind of, you know, put my own, you know, staple on the Clippers and what we wanted to do, I think that's when I kind of knew, like, okay, like, not having the best player in the world, you know, LeBron's gone to come into a situation now where I got to make these guys champions or. Or winners. And, you know, I thought that was, like, the first year when I got to the Clippers, I thought, okay, I really took that step to be, like, knowing that. Me knowing myself personally, okay, like, you are one of the best, and, you know, there's a lot of great coaches out there. Not to take anything away from anybody else, but what we got to go through from a year to year basis, I think, yeah, I think, you know, I am one of the best coaches in the league.
- [29:13]
Ty Lue
Do you believe that LeBron and Kyrie together would have won another championship had they ever stayed together?
- [29:20]
Stephen A. Smith
No question. No doubt. You know, it did become harder, you know, once Golden State acquired, you know. Yes.
- [29:29]
Ty Lue
That kind of got in the way.
- [29:30]
Stephen A. Smith
Yeah, yeah. Once they got kd, you know, that was tough, you know, but I thought, you know, after we won the championship in 2016, I thought we kind of had the blueprint, you know, how we wanted to attack Golden State, you know, how we wanted to guard and defend them. And like I said, they are a great team. And Steve Kerr, like I said, one of the top coaches in the NBA as well, you know, so it's going to be a tough task. But we thought we figured out like, you know, after game two in 2016, we figured out like how we wanted to guard him, how we wanted to defend them, and, you know, I thought definitely, you know, Kyrie and LeBron would have won more championships for sure.
- [30:10]
Ty Lue
I got to ask you this question too, because you were supposed to be the damn coach of the Los Angeles Lakers before you ever went to the Clippers. I didn't forget that. I didn't forget. What the hell happened, Ty? Lou, Why, I mean, how did they, how did the Lakers mess that up where they didn't get you as their coach? How did they mess that up?
- [30:30]
Stephen A. Smith
I think, like you said, the respect level of, you know, where I came from and knowing LeBron was on our team. And so, yeah, you automatically think, you know, oh, LeBron James did everything, which he did a lot, you know, but I don't think they had the same respect for me as I, as I felt they should. Now they offered me the job on a three year basis and they wanted to pick my coaching staff and I just wasn't going to do that. And I think more so for me to be a championship coach, to take a three year deal when everyone else is getting five year deals and more money, and then you want to pick my staff as well. I just thought that was, you know, a slap in the face. And I think, you know, as a young black head coach, I just thought it was a bad example I was setting for other guys coming up, you know, after me. And then, you know, last thing, you know me, Stephen, I'm, I'm a, I'm a loyal person, you know, and so for me to take the job and leave my guys behind in Cleveland with no job, they were going to be out of the league and weren't going to be able to take those guys with me. I just felt that that was, you know, it was tough for me to do, to leave my guys behind. And so like I said, Lakers didn't do anything wrong. Like I said, they offered me the job, they chose me to do it, and it was up to me to take the deal. And I just Said, you know, I respectfully decline, you know. And so, you know, I love my relationship with Lawrence Frank, Mark Hughes and Trent Redden. I love my relationship with Mr. Ballmer, which has been great. And so really for me, like I said, it was a blessing in disguise because I have built some great relationships coming to the Clippers. And so I'm happy to be here.
- [32:04]
Ty Lue
What about the notion that LeBron could have done more because he is LeBron James, greatest player in the world, champion, four time champion, or three time champion at the time before, before he won with the Lakers in a lockout shortened season, that somebody with his cachet, his power, his influence could have done more to ensure that the Lakers may have given you a five year deal.
- [32:21]
Stephen A. Smith
And he did. And he called me twice and I said, yeah, he called me, what do I gotta do? You want this? You? I said, no, I want them to respect me. How I don't want to have to go to you to get my deal done. If they don't respect me like I should be respected, then it's okay. Like he was, he was pissed off, he was mad about it. But him and Rich Paul both stepped up and said, what we got to do to get it done. And I just didn't, you know, I didn't like the way it was, it was handled. And so give Ron credit. Him and Rich Paul both stepped up numerous amount of phone calls to try to get it done. And once, once that, you know, once it came to me in that regard, I was just like, you know what? Now I'm just going to sit out and wait for another opportunity.
- [33:01]
Ty Lue
So it's fair to say that you enjoy beating up on the Lakers more so than you enjoy beating up on most teams?
- [33:07]
Stephen A. Smith
No, I just like to win. I just like to win. Like I said, Lake was where it all started for me. And I have a great respect for Jeannie Buss and you know, Dr. Buss and you know, Jerry west, you know, Mitch Kupchak, those who gave me my opportunity to be there. And so I will always love the Lakers. I have no hate for them. It was my first opportunity, won two championships there. Probably the best time of my life for playing basketball, you know, and so I have no disrespect or ill will towards the Lakers at all. You know, when we play, of course I want to win. That's whoever we play. But they gave me my first shot and I will always, like I said, have love and respect for the Lakers.
- [33:45]
Ty Lue
You an assistant coach on Team usa. That experience over the summer before I let you get on out of here. I mean, listen, I heard a lot of stories. I wasn't in Paris, but I heard a lot of stories about how Jason Tatum was struggling and what have you. And. But. But I was all over Steve Kirby because I'm like, how do you not find time for all NBA player the last three years who's a champion a month earlier and in two games you can't find a couple of minutes for this dude, Was I wrong about that, Ty Lou, Was I wrong about bringing that up, man?
- [34:21]
Stephen A. Smith
No, you wasn't wrong. I mean, like you said, when you. When you have a player like Jason Tatum, the cowboy player that he is, you know, three time, you know, all NBA, NBA champion. I think he's been to two NBA finals, I think five Eastern Conference finals. Like, you know, and so when you have a cowboy player like he is, it does seem tough. And, you know, he's my. He's my little cousin. So, you know, I had to, you know, take him the news and help him deal with the situation because like you said, when you get on that stage, you want to play and show who you are and represent your country at a high level. And it was unfortunate that, you know, two games that didn't work out that way. So. But I do like. I do like the way J.T. handled himself. I think he handled himself as a professional. I think he did all the right things. As tough as the situation may have been, I thought he did the right thing in the way he handled the situation.
- [35:13]
Ty Lue
I tell you this much. I think that when it comes to who the next coach is going to be, because Steve Kerr is not going to be doing this anymore in 2028, to me, there's only two choices is you or Eric Spoelstra. Have you thought about that at all? And what's your aspiration when it comes to coaching Team usa?
- [35:26]
Stephen A. Smith
Yeah, I mean, I thought about it, you know, a lot. And you know, SPO's a hell of a coach, you know, and that's another guy that I regard as one of the top coaches in the NBA. And just for me, you know, Steve Kerr, you know, SPO and Mark Few to be in the same room together. I mean, for me it was like being in heaven. Just have. Just being able to pick their brains, understand how they do certain things, different ways for me to get better, you know, like, for me, I always want to grow and get better, you know, every single year.
- [35:53]
Ty Lue
Right.
- [35:53]
Stephen A. Smith
And I learned a lot over the last two seasons just being a room with those Other three guys. And so, you know, it's a great honor to represent your country. You know, me growing up in the park, like, you always want to be a player, you know, but I wasn't good enough to be a player on the USA team. So being able to coach and represent our country in any way possible, that's a blessing. And so, you know, I know I've talked to Grand Hill, you know, we talked to Steve, Curtis, Bow. And so when that opportunity comes, like I said, I would be very, very happy to. To accept that. So we'll see what happens.
- [36:25]
Ty Lue
I completely support you or Eric Spolster as the next head coach for Team usa, as long as y'all can assure me that. That Kawhi Leonard won't be on the team. He'll be playing for the Clippers. All right? Not Team USA be playing for the Clippers. We ain't having that team. We ain't having that time. We ain't.
- [36:38]
Stephen A. Smith
We.
- [36:39]
Ty Lue
We just ain't having it.
- [36:40]
Stephen A. Smith
Too old to play.
- [36:41]
Ty Lue
Damn right. You know what I'm saying? You don't need to be even thinking about this. I can't believe he even tried this time around. But anyway, before I let you get on out of here. When you look at the Western Conference, I mean, we saw Dallas come out of the west last year. I know you're limited in what you can say about an opposing team, but in terms of competition, when you scour the Western Conference, right now, I'm looking at the Phoenix Suns as a sleeper. I'm looking at them more so than anybody else. Can't ignore Sacramento. Denver seems to have taken a step back a touch. Oklahoma City can't be ignored. The Lakers are up and down, et cetera, et cetera. Where do you see you guys in that picture? When you talk about supremacy within the Western Conference and who do you worry about most? Who do you find yourself worrying about most?
- [37:26]
Stephen A. Smith
I find myself worrying about every team you just named. But, you know, a team that, you know, people are sleeping on, that know, not talking a lot about is Memphis. You know, with Job being back healthy, McBain being back healthy. Yeah. Jiren Jackson playing at the elite level, and Taylor Jenkins is a special coach. Man, it's really good. And so, you know, I think they're a sleeper, you know, with them being healthy. They're a tough team. You know, Golden State's always a tough team because of, you know, Steve Car and Steph and Draymond and just that, everything they built, you know, in Golden State and then okc. I Mean, they're tough to handle, man. I mean, Shay, like I said, playing the MVP level, Coach Mark, the things he's done to implement his system, to get the young guys to buy into what they're doing every single night, I think that's been very impressive. And then you got, you know, Denver Nuggets, who has the MVP, you know, he don't want MVP, what, 10 times. I mean. I mean, you got the Joker, Jamal Murray, you know, Mike Malone, you know, who's a really good coach as well. And so every night, like, it's gonna be hard even like, you got San Antonio spurs, you know, Mitch has done a great job taking over for Pop, and, you know, hopefully Pop gets well.
- [38:35]
Ty Lue
Hopefully he gets well.
- [38:36]
Stephen A. Smith
God bless game. Yeah. But Mitch has stepped in and done a great job as well. So there's a lot of good teams, you know, Sacramento, like you said. And then the one that I'm, you know, the most scared of when they get together when they're healthy, is the Phoenix Suns, you know, Kevin Durant, Brad.
- [38:51]
Ty Lue
H. Are they making a difference?
- [38:52]
Stephen A. Smith
Yeah, Bunoza made a, you know, a big difference. And then the Lakers, AD and Bron, you know, Austin Reeves and, you know, dlo, and they have a lot of talent. So if the west is tough, man. And so every night, you know, you gotta fight and scratch and claw to try to win games. We get healthy, we get Kawhi back. I do love our chances.
- [39:12]
Ty Lue
You got Kawhi with y'all in the Eastern Conference, you got Embiid and Paul George out. Not that he was talking about these guys, but I recently saw comments by James Worthy looking at today's generation of players or today's game, not the players themselves, but really the quality of the game itself. And he implied, if not flat out said, that it's a bit soft compared to back in the old days. What are your thoughts about that as somebody that played in the 90s and into the early and into 2000s and beyond, compared to what you're seeing now?
- [39:42]
Stephen A. Smith
Yeah, I wouldn't say soft, but definitely different. You know, when I came into the league in 1998, it was a lockout season. And so we played 50 games, and we played back to back to back. We played three games in a row, and, like, nobody ever complained. Nobody ever set out, and it just wasn't a thought. Like. And so now the game is different. The game has changed. And so you gotta kind of follow the blueprint that's been set, you know, and so, you know, when guys have certain injuries or Guys, we know that, you know, play, you know, a certain amount of games with certain amount of minutes. You know, it's a history where, okay, after 25 games, if he play this many minutes, this is when he tends to get, you know, tightest in his hamstring. This is when his knees tend to swell up. And so, like, we have a great medical staff that kind of puts you in position to understand when guys are in that red zone and we gotta, you know, scale it back a little bit. And so I wouldn't say it's soft. I would just say it's different. You know, I think the way it's structured is different now from when we first came into the league. And so now, you know, for me, it's like, well, you know, we gotta do a better job. So when these guys are 50 years old, they'll be able to walk, not walk like you. I said, I don't care about a walker. When they 50, get them on the court. Right, Exactly.
- [40:50]
Ty Lue
Exactly. That's where I was thinking about it. But. But Tyloo, I'm asking, how did it get to this point? Is it because of the owners and the investments that they've made? Is it because of executives, general managers, president of basketball operations, trying to protect that investment, to validate their existence and their positions? Is it strength and conditioning? Coaches? Is it doctors? Why has it gotten to this point where you're having these conversations, where you're getting advice from people outside of the coaches or even outside of the players, talking about they need to sit down, they don't need to play?
- [41:23]
Stephen A. Smith
I think, you know, we've incorporated these medical staffs. We've been really good, you know, STEPHEN A. And if you look at back when I came in the league or even before I came into the league to now, the longevity of players is extremely higher, you know, and so they're doing something right. You know, now, I don't know how we can fix it where they play more games or whatever. Some, you know, whatever that may be. But, like, if you look at, you know, back when I came in or before me, you know, guys weren't playing 16, 17 years. Like, consistent, like you, you know, you do two or three years, and guys were out of the league. And so now guys are able to play longer. Like, they have longer stretches in their career. And so they're doing something right. But like you said, as far as, you know, missing games or missing as many games, if we could try to clean that up, it would be a lot better, but they're doing Something, Right. We just got to come to a, you know, a great balance.
- [42:13]
Ty Lue
Very last question. What would you define as success for the Los Angeles clippers for the 20, 24, 25 season if Kawhi Leonard doesn't come back.
- [42:24]
Stephen A. Smith
At least Conference finals.
- [42:26]
Ty Lue
Conference finals.
- [42:27]
Stephen A. Smith
Yeah.
- [42:28]
Ty Lue
Without Kawhi. No.
- [42:30]
Stephen A. Smith
You said if he comes back.
- [42:31]
Ty Lue
I said if he doesn't.
- [42:32]
Stephen A. Smith
Oh. Oh, I'm sorry.
- [42:33]
Ty Lue
Okay.
- [42:36]
Stephen A. Smith
If he doesn't. You know, realistically for us, I think, you know, being that, you know, six, seventh ac being in the play in and then fight for a chance to make the playoffs, you know, that's. That's our mindset, and that's our goal. We want to make the playoffs. And I think, you know, Kawhi doesn't come back. We've shown that, you know, we can win games. We've shown that, you know, we have the blueprint defensively, how we want to play every single night. And so for me, like I said, to be. To get into the playoffs and have a chance to play in the playoffs, I think would be a huge, you know, step for our team this year without Kawak.
- [43:09]
Ty Lue
And if he does come back. Conference finals.
- [43:12]
Stephen A. Smith
That's what I see. That's what I see. Like, I mean, that's what I would want to do, make it to the conference finals. I mean, a lot of pressure I put on myself. Like I said, it could be tough, it could be hard, but I'm not gonna sell myself short.
- [43:23]
Ty Lue
You shouldn't. I'm gonna be out there. I'm gonna be. Conference finals with Kawhi Le. I hope you right. I hope you right.
- [43:32]
Stephen A. Smith
What you think?
- [43:35]
Ty Lue
I ain't gonna lie to you. I can't see y'all get to the conference finals, even with Kawhi. I can see you getting to the semifinals, but right now, bro, I'm looking @ Phoenix. And OKC's not going away. OKC's not going away. And when Chet Holmgreg comes.
- [43:52]
Stephen A. Smith
I'm sorry Steven had to cut you off, too. I mean, ime. Oh, my God. He made a job. He's going to Houston.
- [43:58]
Ty Lue
Oh, my God, What a job. What a job. And don't get me started with him, because I thought he got holes in the whole Boston situation. It really pissed me off what they did to him out there, but I ain't gonna bring that up. But I'm happy for him. I'm proud of him. He's showing himself to be one hell of a coach. But you are, too. No doubt about that. I just hope that you can have a star that you rely on. All I want is your star to be able to play.
- [44:17]
Stephen A. Smith
That's all I ask.
- [44:18]
Ty Lue
That's all I ask.
- [44:19]
Stephen A. Smith
He'll be back. Stephen.
- [44:21]
Ty Lue
I'm holding you that, I'm holding that you on camera. You know you saying this on camera, right? He's, he gonna be back. I'm gonna text you, I'm gonna text.
- [44:27]
Stephen A. Smith
You the night before he play.
- [44:28]
Ty Lue
I know you will. I know you will. Appreciate you coach, man. All love, man. All the best to you. We'll talk soon. Happy holidays.
- [44:34]
Stephen A. Smith
You too. Thank you very much.
- [44:36]
Ty Lue
One and only Ty Lou Los Angeles clip is right here in Stephen A. Smith Show. Kawhi Leonard will be back.
- [44:43]
Stephen A. Smith
All right. All right.
- [44:45]
Ty Lue
We'll see. That was some candid stuff from that man, Ty Lue right there. Hopefully some of his dreams and aspirations will come to fruition. If anybody can pull it off, it's him. I just got to see it to believe it. Because as long as his perennially injured superstar Kawhi Leonard is what he's reliant upon, I can't see it happen. But I sincerely, I sincerely hope that I am wrong. I truly, truly do. That's my take after listening to Ty Lue, but I'm sure there are other takes from fans of the NBA about their respective teams and thoughts about the National Basketball association as Christmas approaches. I'll talk to them next, so stick around and hear what they have to say. You're watching and listening to the Stephen A. Smith show right here over the Digital Airways of YouTube and iHeartRadio. Back with more in a moment. I wanna take a second to make sure you all know that with the NFL in full swing and games being played Thursday night, Sunday night, even Monday night, I could not be more excited. But what's even more exciting is that Prospex wants to help you cash in on all those big time games. You see, prospex is a daily fantasy app where you can pick two or more of your favorite players and then you simply select more or less on the projected stats for the game. Pick a player's passing yards, rushing yards, or total touchdowns. The list is endless. And the good news just keeps coming because with prize picks, you can choose from any sport you love to watch. That's basketball, that's baseball, football, hockey, soccer, even MMA all in the same entry. And now with prize picks, live squares option, you'll be able to place mid game picks on full game projections. Just look for a red light indicator on your squares in the app during live games and pick a player's game projection after their game has started. And if you sign up now with code SAS, Prospects will give you $50 instantly when you play your first $5 lineup. You don't need to win your lineup to receive the $50 bonus.
- [46:36]
Stephen A. Smith
It's guaranteed.
- [46:37]
Ty Lue
All you have to do is play a $5 lineup on prospects and you'll get $50 instantly. Pick more, pick less. It's really that easy.
- [46:48]
Hunter
I'm Hunter, host of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share a bite sized stories stories of missing and murdered Black women and girls in America. There are several ways we can all do better at protecting Black women. My contribution is shining a light on our missing sisters and amplifying their disregarded stories. Stories like Tameka Anderson. As she drove toward Galvez, she was in contact with several people talking on the phone as she made her way to what should have been a routine transaction. But Tameka never bought the car and she never returned home that day. One podcast, One Mission. Save Our Girls. Join the search as we explore the chilling cases of missing and murdered Black women and girls. Listen to Hunting for Answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [47:50]
Cheekies
Hey y'all, it's your girl, Cheekies. And I'm back with a brand new season of your favorite podcast, Cheekies and Chill. I'll be sharing even more personal stories with you guys and I know a lot of people are going to attack me. Why are you going to go visit your dad? Your mom wouldn't be okay with it. I'm going to tell you guys right now. I know my mother and I know my mom had a very forgiving heart. That is my story on plastic surgery. This is my truth. I think the last time I cried like that was when I lost my mom like that. Like yelling. I was like, no. I was like, oh. And I thought, what did I do wrong? And as always, you'll get my exclusive take on topics like love, personal growth, health, family ties and more. And don't forget, I'll also be dishing out my best advice to you on episodes of Dear Cheekies.
- [48:39]
Ty Lue
So my fiance and I have been together for 10 years.
- [48:42]
Stephen A. Smith
In the first two years of being.
- [48:44]
Ty Lue
Together, I find out he is cheating on me.
- [48:47]
Stephen A. Smith
Not only with women, but also with men.
- [48:49]
Ty Lue
What should I do?
- [48:51]
Cheekies
Okay, where do I start? That's not love. He doesn't love you enough. Because if he loved you, he'd be faithful. It's going to be an exciting year and I hope that you can join me, listen to Cheekies and Chill Season four as part of the My Cultura Podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [49:14]
Ty Lue
Welcome back to the Stephen A. Smith show right here over the Digital Airways of YouTube and of course, iHeartrad. Get to the calls and the tweets before I get on out of here. Okay, first things first. Whether Niger or Najar, you're live with Stephen A. What's going on, man? Nijar.
- [49:31]
Nijar
How are you doing?
- [49:32]
Ty Lue
How you doing? Go ahead. What's up?
- [49:34]
Nijar
My question is I'm from Atlanta, but I'm a huge Celtics fan. I was born in Boston, moved down here long time ago, but I followed the Celtics my whole life. Obviously we made, we made it over to hump last year, but we saw a lot of criticism on Jason Tatum and rightfully so. You know, he could have stepped up his game a little bit more, but I'm seeing this really hot start he's had to this season and this seems a little different to me than the previous seven seasons. I know that a lot of times he started out really, really strong, but he kind of fizzles out like maybe around like December, January, and then he picks it back up near the playoffs. But seeing his really strong start to this season, how dominant the Celtics have been, and just like his numbers have been bigger over the board, do we think that we should take him way more seriously this year when it comes to MVP conversation? I think he gets disrespected a lot.
- [50:22]
Ty Lue
When it comes to that. Well, first of all, I appreciate the question. You have to take it more seriously because he's a reigning defending NBA champion who followed up winning a championship by receiving the greatest insult of his basketball career, being benched into games by Steve Kerr in Olympic competition, and being told it was going to be a struggle to find him playing time ahead of 10 different dudes. This is a first team all NBA player the last three years and a champion who watched others performed and couldn't even get on the court on, on a couple of pivotal moments. And so I think he's on a mission and he's playing like it. And I'm going to give props to him for answering the call the way that he has. He's averaging 28 points on 45% shooting and 37% from 3 point range at the time of this call. So I'm going to give love and props to him where it's due. And I hope he finishes as a top candidate for league MVP honors because as much as I respect the hell out of Steve Kerr and the job that he has done in his career, he's an illustrious coach, one of the greatest coaches of all time. I was sickened that he took that position with Jayson Tatum. I don't give a damn who you are. You find a way to get. Give Jayson Tatum some minutes. That's how I view it. I appreciate the call. TJ in Atlanta, you're live with Stephen A. What's up, tj? Stephen A, talk to me. What's up?
- [51:39]
TJ
Hey man, I know you're memories with TJ from Atlanta, man. You know, I got a question about LeBron and Lakers. I just want to know what you think the feeling is for us this year, man. I really want to know. I know LeBron is slow.
- [51:58]
Ty Lue
What are you asking me?
- [52:00]
TJ
I'm asking what do you think the ceiling for us, the Lakers. Yeah.
- [52:07]
Ty Lue
I still think you could get to the to the semifinals at the very least is if LeBron's slump is not going to last. And ads ad my issue is that they can't defend collectively and JJ Redick knows it. He pays attention to detail. I think that he's going to do everything that he can exhausting himself to make sure they're all they could be. But at the end of the day, LeBron is going to be 40 this month. And Anthony Davis, even though we want to say he's in a prime of his career, he's got some mileage on that body and you need other cats to step up. You know what? I'm really bothered by this cat. Vanderbilt, when the hell are you going to get on the court? What, what, what, what, what, what did. What happened to him? How the hell are you out this long with these injuries? What are you doing that you can't find yourself out on the basketball court? Coat on the basketball court? Was he in a coma or something? What the hell's going on? So I just think that they need to upgrade their defense or what have you to Austin Reeves of the world. They could play, Hachimura could play. They need to play better. I love Dalton connect. I love that rookie. I think he's got a chance to be rookie of the year, even though that guy McCain is going to do his thing in Philadelphia. But in the end, I don't see the Lakers. I mean they could get bounced out in the first round, they could get bounced out in the play in. But I think their best case scenario Right now, based on what we're seeing is them to get to the semifinals, man. Appreciate the call. Last call, Michael and nyc, you're live with Stephen Day. What's up, Michael?
- [53:37]
TJ
Hey, Stephen. How we doing? Michael sp, Feedback, people. Last name? I hope you're doing well and staying safe and being healthy.
- [53:43]
Ty Lue
Yes, sir. Same to you. How you doing?
- [53:45]
TJ
Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Good, good, good. Yo, what are we thinking about Karl Anthony Town? First of all, I'm so excited to hear from you. But second, I got so much mixed emotions because the offensive talent is there. But how much are we missing defensively and is Mitch Robinson going to help us when he comes back, sir?
- [54:02]
Ty Lue
Well, you got to remember something. If you're the New York Knicks, you made this deal recognizing the fact that you were doing it for more offense and that your defense was going to be somewhat compromised. When you look at Karl Anthony towns, he's averaging 25 and 13. Let's not throw no shade on him. He's shooting 52% from the field, 45% from three point range and he is averaging 25 and 13. I'm not throwing any shade on him. I'm very, very pleased with. He's a league leading rebounder. So I got a lot of love for Karl Anthony Towns right now. Mitchell Robinson comes back, then he's at the five and then Karl Anthony Towns on the four pressure Chichua comes back as well. That'll ensure that Karl Anthony Towns can play more time at the 4 instead of the 5, which is natural for him. So he'll be somebody that can defend straight up, knowing he's got help on the backside which will make them more formidable defensively. I miss the Dante Divincenzos of the world and I gotta look at the rest of their crew and wonder what's going to happen here. I'm looking at him, Mikhail bridges, he's averaging 16. Okay, but he's, but he's shooting 33% from three point range. He'll need to shoot better than that even though he's hitting 47% of his shots. Josh Hart, you know, he's an energizer buddy. OG Anunoby, he's got 41 minute and the next thing you know he can't buy a basket the next game. So I'm looking at all of those things. But McBride coming off the bench, I think he's somebody that needs to play more. Okay, he's averaging about 11 points a game. He's shooting about 43% from three point range. You need that kind of stuff. In the end, you're the New York Knicks. Here's what your problem is. We watched them last year and we thought Philly was going to be their number one problem with a healthy Embiid. Joe, Paul George and a Tyrese Maxey. That's not the case. Embiid ain't healthy. Paul George ain't healthy. They've. They're severely compromised. Look at Cleveland, look at what they've done. And they got to close in. Donovan Mitchell, I got to pay attention to that. Look at Orlando and what they've been doing without Paolo Benchiro, I got to pay attention to that. So it's not going to be easy sailing for the New York Knicks, but they should still be able to beat anybody outside of the Celtics in the Eastern Conference. I appreciate your call, man. Thank you so much, Michael. All the best to you and yours. Happy holidays. Before I get on out of here for the day, let's go to some tweets, okay? At this girl says underscore, right? Stephen A. If Shaq and Charles had a one on one game today, who collapses first and why? That's a good damn question. Because, you know, I don't know what. I saw Shaq do a dunk in studio the other day. He was breathing heavy. He was breathing heavy. And Chuck, he ain't trying to hide that belly. He ain't trying to hide. I love them both. They're my brothers. I'm gonna have to go with Shaq. I'm gonna have to go with Shaq, right? Because I don't know if Barkley's gonna shoot jump shots. And I know Shaq's big ass could take it to the hole anytime he wants to until he's 80. Ray AJ writes Stephen A. Smith. How would you go about navigating the conversation around college with your kid? Do you believe college is important, slash necessary, slash a waste, et cetera? Like in the sense of if a kid doesn't want to go to college or does, and you think the opposite may be better for them? Well, first of all, I'm always a proponent of education because education is not just about the degree. It's about you learning habits that enable you to win in life. A lot of times, the reason why college education matters to so many people is because it ensures or shows rather a resolve that you may have had that others may not have proven they have because they didn't do what you did to get to where they are. And so you look at it from that standpoint, that's one thing the Other thing is that usually with your college degree, you pay more. I will say this, though. It's not needed. It's preferred. But it used to be needed. That's not necessarily the case any longer now, as we look at it. Okay, I think what we have to pay attention to is this. If you're not going to go to college, what's your plan? Plan? What kind of skill set do you have? What have you positioned yourself for? You know, all of those things come into play, and that's what we have to pay attention to. And I think as long as that's transpiring, I think that's a huge, huge deal. But you need to have some kind of plan if you're going to say, I don't want to go to college. Because when you go to college, you're telling somebody they can bet on you.
- [58:31]
Stephen A. Smith
You.
- [58:32]
Ty Lue
When you don't go to college, you're praying somebody will bet on you. There's a difference. Let's go to this1104, writes Stephen A. Smith. Would you chill here for the night? Fuck, no. Why would I do that? I'm not chilling at a gas station in the snow. For what? And not only that, who knows what's going to come out of that darkness to try and get at me? I don't know. That doesn't look safe at all. No. That's an easy answer. Hell to the no. I would not do that. Last tweet, Tyler Plumber writes Stephen A. Smith. How do you handle fame with being a parent? First of all, with your children, you're never famous. When you're in their presence, they don't give a damn about that fame. They want what they want because they completely feel entitled to you. You understand? That's how that works. So where I feel the fame around my daughters is when they are ultra annoyed that people come up to me because they're preoccupying my time and attention away from my daughters. And my daughters don't like that. And then they look at me and they oh, God, who are you? Why do they come up to you before? What? I mean, you're just you. I mean, what's the big deal? You see, most people who are public figures, their children act like that, particularly when they're young and when they're teenagers, okay? But that's cool because it reminds you of normalcy. You don't get caught up in the allure of being a public figure because your children don't allow it. And on top of it all, it brings incredible balance to your life because you recognize that everything isn't about fame. You're reminded of that constantly, and it gives you the balance that you need so you don't get caught up. But here's what it also does. It makes you ultra protective. And you're supposed to be that way as a parent anyway. But when you're a public figure, you start thinking about who doesn't like you, who wants to harm you, and it makes you more protective of the people that you love. And so because of that, that's how it influences it. I hope I answered that question. That's it for this edition of the Stephen A. Smith Show. I'm about to get on out of here. Y'all enjoy your weekend. I'll see y'all in a couple of days when I'm back in the country. Until then, peace and love, everybody. God bless. I can't wait for Christmas to get here. It's a beautiful, beautiful time when Christmas season is in the air. Love it. Absolutely love it. I'm sure you will, too. Go out and buy some presents. Don't wait till the last minute, okay? That's a headache. Trust me on that. Until next time, everybody, it's Stephen A. Signing off. Peace and love.
- [61:22]
Greg Rosenthal
What's up, everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal, and I'm teaming up with the king of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need need this NFL draft season. From DJs, mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [61:53]
Julie Stewart-Banks
What's up, everyone? Julie Swerbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.
- [61:57]
Nate Thompson
We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.
- [62:00]
Julie Stewart-Banks
The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.
- [62:03]
Nate Thompson
Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?
- [62:09]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.
- [62:12]
Nate Thompson
Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.
- [62:17]
Julie Stewart-Banks
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.