Stephen A. Smith and LA Clippers’ Paul George have continued their back-and-forth for several months. Responding to PG13’s comments from his Podcast P, Smith recently went on a rant on his own podcast. Speaking on The Stephen A. Smith show, he talked about how George earned a yearly $51,500,000 only to be unavailable for his team when they needed him the most. Smith also claimed that he himself was a champion at what he did, and was obviously angry with George’s recent comments. While PG13 is a top player, he has had his issues with injuries and is still looking for his first-ever championship.
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The Clippers’ superstar had questioned Smith’s take on his and Kawhi Leonard’s injuries. He claimed that it wasn’t as if the two didn’t want to play. George said that while he was injured, he would simply not have been useful for his team, thus rendering his presence useless.
Stephen A. Smith hits back at Paul George’s recent comments
Smith’s latest comments involved a reference to Paul George’s salary. Despite obvious talent, the Clippers have struggled in recent seasons due to their top star’s non-availability during the playoffs.
Smith got out the mathematics behind the time missed by both George and Kawhi Leonard. He claimed that George had made around $148 million from salary alone during his time at the franchise:
“You’ve missed 119 of 307 regular season games. That’s 38% due to injuries. In that time span, you’ve earned $148.2 million in your career. $57.3 million of those money’s worth the games missed. Kawhi Leonard, he’s missed 147 of 308 regular season games. I still am waiting for that championship from the fairweather stepchild known as the Clippers compared to the Lakers. If you combine your money with his money, that equates to… $102 million in salary and $17 million in endorsements. That’s 48% due to injuries, Kawhi’s earned $146.9 million in his career with the Clippers. About $70.8 million for games he’s missed. I don’t see the Clipper fans getting any refunds.”
Smith seemed to particularly have a problem with George’s claim that his take on the injury situation was “stupid.” The two superstars joined in 2019 amidst high expectations, but the last few seasons have resulted in repeated early Playoff exits.
JJ Reddick hit back at Smith for his take on Kawhi Leonard’s injury troubles
Initially, Smith opined that the Clippers should force Kawhi Leonard into retirement. The 55-year-old wanted to see Leonard play because he hadn’t seen him get hurt, unlike George.
Speaking on First Take, Reddick also suggested that it wasn’t a case of choice, but rather a compulsion. The former Clippers star also claimed that Leonard would not have been able to add value had he been on the court.
Reddick said that this was something Smith would have known had he played in the NBA himself. Regardless, while it took a few months, George eventually used his podcast to stand up for his long-term teammate.
