Stephen A. Smith's Kawhi Leonard haterade comes out despite win over Cavs

03/19/2025 12:44 PM

The Los Angeles Clippers extended their winning streak to four games Tuesday night, securing a 132-119 victory over the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers. Kawhi Leonard led the way with a dominant performance, finishing with 33 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals while shooting 12-for-19 from the field and five-for-six from three-point range.

Despite the Clippers' statement win, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith remained unconvinced, questioning Leonard's availability for the postseason during Wednesday's episode of First Take.

"The reason I’m not sold on the Clippers is because I’m just looking at my watch and I'm just looking at the dates on the calendar and I’m just waiting for Kawhi Leonard to get hurt," Smith said. "I know that come playoff time, he's not going to be available."

“The reason I’m not sold on the Clippers is because I’m just looking at my watch… and I’m just waiting for Kawhi Leonard to get hurt. … I am just allergic to excitement with anything that involves Kawhi Leonard. I just am.”

—Stephen A. Smithpic.twitter.com/1bOKY0bfxK

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 19, 2025

Stephen A. Smith questions Kawhi Leonard's durability amid Clippers' win over Cavaliers

Smith continued his criticism by referencing Leonard's past injury history, particularly his unexpected absence during the 2023 playoff series against the Phoenix Suns.

"This is a man that went into a playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, dropped 38 [points], walked off the court [and] looked perfectly fine… then four o'clock the next day he's out for the year."

Smith added to his skepticism by drawing comparisons to other players’ injuries, suggesting Leonard’s absences are uniquely unpredictable.

"When Paul George gets injured, we see what happened. When other players get injured, we actually see. Jalen Brunson, I hope he's gonna be alright. I mean, Cooper Flagg at Duke for crying out loud – hope he's going to be okay."

Smith then pointed to the lack of transparency surrounding Leonard’s injuries, implying that uncertainty has become a recurring theme with the Clippers’ star.

"We never get a clear picture. It's always vague. 'Oh, he's dealing with something.' 'Oh, it's a maintenance issue.' With other players, we get timelines, we get explanations. With Kawhi, it's just this mystery every time."

Smith questions Leonard's playoff reliability

Smith continued his critique, emphasizing the unpredictability of Leonard's status and the difficulty in relying on him for a deep playoff run.

"This is Kawhi Leonard, I mean he's walking off, he looks just fine and then between one game and the next game – we don't know if it was him going to the bathroom, him in Chick-fil-A, chilling out at some bar, hanging out in the house or something… walked up the stairs, something happened and he can't play. I can't get excited about the Clippers because yes, last night was an impressive win. Cleveland, two losses in a row after a 16-game winning streak – I get all of that and they deserve credit for it, it's a bigger win for them."

Stephen A. Smith concluded his remarks by reiterating his doubts about Leonard's long-term reliability.

"I am just allergic to excitement with anything that involves Kawhi Leonard. I just am."

Leonard has played in 26 games this season, averaging 19.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 47.6% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc. He managed to stay relatively healthy last season, appearing in 68 games—the most since his 2016-17 campaign with the San Antonio Spurs, when he played a career-high 74 games.

The Clippers (39-30) remain one game behind the Golden State Warriors (40-29) for the Western Conference's sixth seed. They will face the Memphis Grizzlies (43-26) on Friday before concluding their four-game homestand against the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder (56-12) on Sunday. The Thunder, now tied with the Cavaliers for the NBA's best record, look to extend their dominance.

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