← The Stephen A. Smith Show
The Stephen A. Smith Show
Stephen A's Take: SGA joins elite company as MVP | Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles injury was heartbreaking.
00:20:19
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We'Re going to get started with the NBA Finals that concluded last night with Game seven in Oklahoma City, with the Thunder crowned as champions for the 20242025 season. The game featured a devastating injury to Pacer star Tyrese Halliburton. I'll get to that in a moment, but I first want to give props to the Thunder, who completed the season having the best record and the best player and in the entire NBA. Shay Gilgeous Alexander, or as my colleague Malika Andrews from ESPN so affectionately calls him, Shea Butter, capped his historic season with 29 points and 12 assists in game seven. By the way, 40 minutes, just one turnover. He's just the fourth player in NBA history to win a regular season MVP and scoring title while becoming an NBA champion. The Thunder victory is also the culmination of longtime general manager Sam Prestige. Presti, who has been in charge since the 20072008 season, has led Oklahoma City to the second most regular season victories in that span or in the league during that span. I like to start there first and foremost. I'm going to start off giving some love to Sam Presti because here's the reason why nobody was calling him out more than me. I respect the hell out of him. I think that over the years he's accumulated hall of Fame Talent. And he's been in charge since 2007. My issue with him is that they didn't close. One of my favorite movies is really the opening monologue by Alec Baldwin. Always be closing. Always be closing. And that was something that we could never say about the Oklahoma City Thunder. And it got on my last damn nerves. Because throughout the years, I remember when Sam Presti had a team and I looked at players, the players that he's had on the squad. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Sergio Baka, Reggie Jackson, Victor Oladipo, Paul George. Still having Russell Westbrook. Okay, Carmelo Anthony. The list just goes on and on and on, but no championship to show for it. Anybody else, somebody would be asking, when we gonna get the chip? When are we gonna get the championship? Well, finally, Oklahoma City answered the call, courtesy of Shea Gilgis Alexander. And Sam Presti deserves a boatload of credit. They've got about anywhere from 13 to 15 first round picks in the very near future. And they got a championship squad now. That's the second youngest squad in NBA history to have captured such a feat. Only the Portland trailblazers from the 1976-77 season led by Bill Walton was considered younger, averaging a little over 25 years of age, whereas Oklahoma City averaged 25 and a half years of age. This is who they are. This is what Oklahoma City brings to the table. Shea Gildrich is a superstar in this league, all right. Averaging 34 in game sevens. I'm looking at what this brother has done and you guys, you just got to stand down. He's one of the best players in the world and there's no way around it. It's just that simple. Right now, if you're telling me a top five in the, in the NBA, you can make a legitimate argument that he's top two easily. Him and Nicola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. That's what you could do. I give you my top five a little bit later if you want me to, but that's where I'm at with it right now. Gotta give love to J Dub. Jalen Williams showing himself to be that sidekick that any championship squad needs, that Oklahoma City has. With Che Gilgis Alexander needing that sidekick, the only thing missing from J Dub's game is consistency. Everything else, he's legit. Six, six, six, seven. He's got a J, he's got ball handling skills. He could finish at the basket, he could finish in the open court, he could hit free throws, he's got a mid range game. Plus he, he defends one of only two players in the entire NBA. Him and Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He, who made an all NBA team and an all NBA defensive team, can't deny what Alex Caruso, you know, the elder statesman of this crew, meant to this team this year. Can't deny what Isaiah Hartenstein, who came over from the New York Knicks last year, meant to this team this year. Chet Holmgren is just in the third year there. Look at what he's been able to do this year. You got cats coming off the bench like Wiggins and Wallace and these cats. Oklahoma City is loaded and they're not going away. And they deserve a boatload of credit for it. They really, really do. My hats off to them. My hat's off to Coach Dagnault, who I thought, listen, had they lost Game seven last night, we all know what we would have been talking about. We've been talking about what happened in Game 1, how he changed the starting lineup before tip off for the NBA Finals even arrived. And we would have said, yo, what the hell are you thinking? But turns out they ended up getting it done, and props to them for doing so. It didn't come easy. It came hard because the Indiana Pacers were valiant in defeat. They pushed this series to seven games, and if certain things had gone their way, who knows, we might be sitting here talking about them as NBA champions. But it was not to be. And that's where we go with the second subject. We get to Tyrese Halliburton. The Pacers point guard got off to a hot start, scoring nine points on three or five shooting. But it all came to an end with just under five minutes left in the first first quarter. That's when Haliburton tried to drive left and his right leg gave out and he crashed to the floor in pain. He was carried off the court and his father, John Halliburton, later revealed what many suspected, an apparent Achilles injury. When it was over, Tyrese Haliburton stood on crutches outside the Pacers locker room, welcoming teammates with an embrace as each one came off the floor following Indiana's 10391 loss to the Thunder. I know y' all have seen me on many occasions talking about Tyrese Halliburton and how he's no superstar, but it doesn't mean that he didn't have the impact of a superstar. It doesn't mean that he's not a damn good player. As I reminded his father when he and I were talking following their Game 6 win in Indianapolis the other night I said I was clamoring for the Knicks to draft your son. And in fairness, his father was a class act. Very pleasant to talk to in the whole bit. And to see him crying last night was not a good sight to see. Cause boy, does he love his son. And he believes in his son. And it's a damn shame that Tyrese Halliburton had to go out like that. Because I'm here to tell y' all, if Tyrese Halliburton, the way that he was rolling, we all know when he starts off strong, he usually has a very, very good game. And last night he shot. He had three of his first four shots. All three were three point shots. And when you look at what he brought to the table, I mean, the Pacers look like they were going to have OKC in some trouble. Because we all know that OKC's weakness is the half court offense. And sometimes it goes a bit stale and they engage in ISO ball by getting the ball to Shay Gilgeous Alexander to come and rescue today. And we know, listen, that might not have been enough. So I look at it from that standpoint and give love and respect where it's due. The Pacers, Nemhard Neesmith, they got a future. Benedict Matheran, I know he had some bad games, but he had some good moments. I believe in that kid. Myles Turner and Niecemith seemed a bit like the moment was too big for them in a Game 7, but they weren't horrible. They got some skills. You could keep this Indiana team intact and they can still make some noise within the Eastern Conference. The problem is, is that you're not playing next season with Halliburton. And don't get me started on TJ McConnell. Obi Toppin had an awful game. No points, four shots clearly rattled at the departure of Tyrese Halliburton, which he openly confessed after the game. But when you look at T.J. mcConnell, ladies and gentlemen, let me put it in perspective. If the Indiana paces had won the game last night, I might have named T.J. mcConnell my MVP. Game five, the way he exploded in the third quarter. Game seven, with 12 points in the third quarter. Yeah, both fourth quarters only scored. Scored zero points, have one shot, but partially being taken out and having this rhythm disrupted by Rick Carlisle, who is going to rely on others because of size, etc, you might take him out. But TJ McConnell was big time for the Pacers in this NBA Finals series. Big time for them. I got nothing but love for this kid. I've known him since his days in Philly, that little. The little engine that could. Little Rough Rider. He could be on my team any day. Got nothing but love for T.J. mcConnell. And he warranted MVP consideration if the Pacers had won. That's the truth. But it wasn't to be. Because the Oklahoma City Thunder was the best team in basketball all year long. And they showed it. And so it is what it is. They are the champions. Here's the thing to be concerned about next season. Look at this right here, y' all. Tyrese, Halliburton, Achilles, Jason Tatum, Achilles, Damian Lillard, Achilles, Kyrie, Irvin, acl. That's where I mean, these guys are gonna. Those three, those first three. Halliburton, Tatum and Lillard gonna be out probably for the whole season. Kyrie gonna be out for most of the season. We're starting next NBA season 25, 26 season without those four guys. That is not good. And the NBA, a global iconic brand. Don't doubt it for one second. The NBA, you need them players. People love the NBA the world over, but we need those players. It's a damn shame. And I'm just telling you right now, when you look at him, gotta tell you, it's painful to watch those injuries. I mean, Kyrie is a spectacular talent. This is a superstar player and a champion. We want to see him. Damian Lillard, we know what a closer he is. We want to see him. Jayson Tatum is a champion at the 27 point per game scorer who's made all NBA team the last four years. We want to see him. And all three of them are out. Them and Halliburton are out for most, if not all of next season. Which brings into question what Lakers coach, former ESPN and ABC analyst JJ Redick said when he was comparing old school to today's game and how pace of play wears and tears on the body. And just as much, if not more than the physicality from the 70s, the 80s, the 90s. And right now it's looking like he's having a point because look at the injuries that we're witnessing. Look at that. Damn, it was sad when I saw Halliburton go down. Broke my heart because I wanted to see a healthy Halliburton on the court making noise. And I originally, he was playing so well. He played so well in game six. I said to myself, I don't want to hear anything about injuries. I ain't seen somebody with a calf injury move like that. And then sure enough, he goes down in Game 7. And the injury was very Very eerily reminiscent of how Kevin Durant went down against Toronto in that Game five where Cav just rolled up the way that it did in the Achilles tour. Painful, no doubt. Wishing nothing but the best of Tyrese Halliburton. Props to him. Congrats to him for the season and particularly the playoffs that he had. Wishing him a speedy recovery. God bless his dad and his family. Hope they get. I hope he gets healthy much, much sooner than later because he's a bright spot for this league. I ain't calling him a superstar, but he can have superstar impact from time to time. He's a damn good player and I wish him nothing but the best. Now let's get to the trade news early in the day that may shake up the Western Conference. The Phoenix Suns agreed on a deal to send Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green. Dillon brooks, the number 10 pick in this year's draft along with five second round picks. The 15 time NBA All Star now elevates the Rockets positioning for championship contention within the Western Conference. Durant joins a lineup that includes Alperin, Shagun, Amin Thompson and veteran guard Fred Van vliet. Houston won 52 games under coach Ime Udoka this past season. The trade can be formally completed when the new league year begins July 6. You see those odds right there. OKC is still a plus two 20, still about four, nearly four times better than the Houston Rockets. But that doesn't mean that the Houston Rockets aren't entitled contender. As you see, they're in the top four in terms of Vegas odds right there, ESPN bet odds because they should be. When you look at the Phoenix Suns. First things first for those looking at them and saying five second round picks, the 10th overall pick, Dylan Brooks, Jalen Green, you know, couldn't they have gotten more. Well, Kevin Durant is like 36, turns 37 at the end of September if I remember correctly. And he's in a position to sign a two year deal, which means he'd be playing and making over 60 plus million dollars. You know, approaching his 39th birthday. My attitude is so what? He's Kevin Durant. He's that dude you couldn't get so much for him because of his age and the fact that he gave you those choices that he wanted to go to, he wanted to go to Miami, San Antonio or Houston. I'm still trying to figure out how the hell of Miami Heat then prioritize getting him. Now I know you don't want to give up Tyler Hero because you want Kevin Durant to play with somebody. So you want him to play with a Tyler hero and a bam out of Bio. I get that. But as long as you got those two, I don't give a damn what you got to give up to get Kevin Durant. You do it if you're the Miami Heat because you've got to be able to get something. You gotta be able to get something. You can't be in south beach squeezing and playing for the play in and then you going home the second game of a play in or the first round of the playoffs. It's Pat Riley, it's Mickey Arison, it's Eric Spoelstra, it's the Miami Heat. We just, we expect better. And you gotta go out there and get those stars. And the fact that you can't or you haven't been able to close deals in it, it's just a reminder of what I've said to all of y' all. When it comes to Pat Riley, I love him, I revere him. He is the winner within. He's a champion as a play, as a champion as a coach. He's a champion as an executive. I get it, he's Pat Riley. But that doesn't mean you don't need to step upstairs sometimes. I didn't say step down, I said step up. Meaning having a merit of status, mingling with the owner, vibing, talking, controlling, etc. And talking to the coach and the president of basketball operations, but leaving the actual responsibility to somebody else. I think it's time to give that to Eric Spoelstra. I really, really do. But back to the KD deal. Phoenix, One could argue they could have gotten better. I'm not so sure that. So they had to take the trade, that they could get five second round picks, a first round and number 10 overall and Dylan Brooks, who's a starter, and Jalen Green, who's a starter and 22 years of age and very athletic and very capable. He just needs his skills honed in a bit better. No doubt, no doubt. And if you're the Phoenix Suns, this has to make you happy because Jalen Green can play, Dylan Brooks can play. The 10th overall pick is going to be a good player. You can matriculate, you, you can materialize something out of those second round picks into something worthwhile. Okay. And in a way, and now you gotta prioritize getting rid of Bradley Beal. Him and LeBron James are the only two people in the entire league that have a no trade clause. And Phoenix wants him gone. In the worst way, to the point where I'm being told that if they can't get rid of him, they might sit his ass down or pay him to stay home. But they don't want Bradley Beal on the Phoenix Suns any longer. And if you Bradley Beal, you got to think about how good that looks for you or how bad that looks for you. They paying you over 50 million, they don't want you and they can't give you away for a box of cookies. What the hell is going on? What are you doing that they got them questioning that about you. That's how. This is not Stephen A Talking. I'm just saying to you, this is what they're saying in Phoenix about Bradley Beal. There's no way around this. So if you know that's your circumstances and your situation, you're not in much of a position to play hardball with anybody. About Kevin Durant. Now to Houston and Kevin Durant. With Shagun and Van Vliet and Amin Thompson, who I think is an absolute stud. This brother's gonna be. He's got star written all over him. Jabari Smith. I think the Houston Rockets are in position to compete for the championship. I really, really do. When, ladies and gentlemen, their issues was perimeter shooting, half court set, three point shooting, et cetera. These are problems Kevin Durant single handedly resolves. He's kd. He's kd. I know he's gotten on me. He's criticized me. Man, please. I ain't got nothing but love for that brother. Kevin Durant's a good brother. Heart's in the right place. He just gets sensitive sometimes, that's all. But this brother's all world player, don't wish harm on nobody and will bust your living ass anytime he on a basketball court and the ball is in, he can do what he want offensively. Nobody can stop him. He's unguardable. Ladies and gentlemen, let me throw you these stats up here because I want you to see what Kevin Durant did in the earlier part of his career and what he's doing now throughout his career. 27 points, 50% shooting, 39% from 3 point range, 88% shooting from the free throw line, 7 rebounds, 4, 4 assists. Look at his numbers last season at age 36, 26, shooting better from the field, shooting better from 3 point range. Might have done a little less for the free throw line, but this Kevin Durant, remember the years ago when Patrick Beverley was, was, was, was gnawing at him and stuff like that. And People were getting on him for not being aggressive. And he says, I could do this and I could do that, but I don't want to because that's not playing within the Florida game. But I'm Kevin Durant. You know who I am. You know who I am? Yes. The hell we do. He's Kevin Durant. And H town has got him. It's one of the places he wanted to go. He earned the right to pick his destiny. He's pulled it off, and now Kevin Durant is going to Houston. To me, that solidifies them as one of the top two seeds in the Western Conference and one of the top three seeds in the entire NBA. I applaud the fact that ant man Anthony Edwards in Minnesota, upon hearing that Kevin Durant didn't want to go there, refused to give him a call to try to coax him into coming. I applaud that because guess what? If the brother don't want to be there, it ain't going to be nothing but problems if he ends up coming there. So you got to make sure he wants to be there. And if he didn't want to be in Minnesota, he didn't want to be in Minnesota. He want to be in H town. Cool. It's Kevin Durant. You know who he is. You know who he is. But despite what we've known, we haven't seen him coached by an IME unit. Udoka, he's got roots with him back in Brooklyn. They know each other. IME Udoka wanted this to happen. No matter what reservations everybody else had. IME Udoka wanted this to happen, and that is why it happened. Kevin Durant knows this. I anticipate he'll respond in kind to be the electrifying basketball superstar we all know him to be. And for Houston to threaten to take the West, OKC ain't got nothing to worry about right now. They the champions. But that don't mean they ain't got something to look out for come October. You feel me? You feel me?
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