Stephen A. Smith is one of the few TV personalities in the NBA, who never shies away from replying back. The ESPN analyst for First Take berated Paul George for calling his take on Kawhi Leonard. Later, Smith was on his podcast “The Stephen A. Smith Show”, where he ripped the Los Angeles Clippers star with some of his facts. One of the many numbers that Smith presented in his podcast was the money that both stars earn combined for missing games. He said that they both earn $121,100,000 combined just for missing games.
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Earlier, on his “Podcast P with Paul George”, PG recently took a shot at Smith calling his take ‘dumb’. Smith had called out Leonard for sitting out in a game, while his team was trailing. The Clippers star said that Smith’s take was dumb because ‘if he goes on the floor and can’t be himself’, he had no reason to be on the floor. The eight-time All-Star also added that by not being himself, the player is even more liable to get hurt, so it was even more dumb.
Stephen A. Smith rips Paul George for calling his take ‘dumb’
According to the stat that SAS presented, since joining the Clippers, PG has missed 119 games of the total 308 regular season games the Clippers have played. In total, he has earned $148.2 million of which he was paid $57.3 million for those games he has missed.
Leonard, on the other hand, has missed 147 of those 308 games. He has earned $146.9 million in salary and $70.8 million for the games that Klaw has missed. Smith said that they both have earned $121.1 million just for missing games and yet the Clippers have been patient with them. This is what SAS said;
“$121.1 million in salary paid to you both for missed games. I don’t see the Clipper fans getting any refunds. I still am waiting for that championship from the fairweather stepchild known as the Clippers compared to the Lakers. Even though I think the Clippers are first class organization and (Paul George), your day is coming.”
Smith also added that instead of calling him dumb on his podcast, George should have invited him and talked to him. Vice-versa, he could have come to Smith’s show and had a one-on-one talk. Moreover, it would be interesting to see what PG13 has to say now when Smith has used just the stat sheet to slam the Clipper star.
Amidst their unavailability concerns, the max extension for PG and Kawhi Leonard is looming on Clippers
It is clearly visible from the Clippers’ front office that the organization is invested in both their star and wants to build a better team around them. Both are eligible for extensions but they haven’t signed yet. This September George would be eligible for an extension.
Both Kawhi and PG will have time till June 30, next year to sign a four-year extension. They can only sign max extension for four years.
The team is expecting both of their stars to come back healthy from their injuries. Despite the fact that they have played few games individually and even fewer games together, they are one of the most lethal duos in the game. Two of the most dominant offensive stars with their wing and perimeter defense can make an impact in every game.
Next season, the Clippers are not expecting them to come and play all season. However, they expect their stars to play significant games, not just for fans but also to build better camaraderie before the postseason.
