Stephen A. Smith is, without a doubt, one of the most polarizing figures in NBA media today. He has clashed with a plethora of players and coaches in the league since rising to fame, with Kyrie Irving being one of the stars he’s had one of the most infamous beefs with. This dates back to the COVID-19 pandemic and Irving’s prolonged absence due to his controversial stance on the situation. Recently, however, Smith went on record to defend the Dallas Mavericks’ guard.
Ahead of the showdown between OKC and the Pacers earlier today, Smith spoke about how great Game 7 performances can define a player’s career. In what was a surprising twist, he turned the spotlight back onto someone he once labeled “selfish and unreliable”.
Smith emphasized that some players compete for more than just money or championships. They play for legacy. And in his view, legacy is what truly stands the test of time. As for Irving, Smith acknowledged that he’s already one of the greats, a former NBA champion who cemented his place in league history long ago.
“Contrary to popular belief. These players, particularly in moments like this, don’t play just for the money; they don’t play for the championship. They play for legacy,” said Smith on ESPN’s NBA Countdown. “A guy like Kyrie Irving. People try and hate on [Kyrie Irving], then you gotta remember, the brother’s a champion.”
Smith’s words reached back to the 2016 NBA Finals, when Irving’s legend was forged under fire and cemented in stone. With 53 seconds left in Game 7, Irving buried a go-ahead three-pointer over Golden State icon Stephen Curry, a shot that completed Cleveland’s comeback from a 3-1 series deficit and delivered the franchise its first-ever NBA championship.
To Smith, that moment changed everything for the 33-year-old. “The Brother delivered in a championship moment. You’re talking about him and LeBron James, back-to-back 41-point games, leading into a Game 7. When [Kyrie Irving] hit a shot over the greatest shooter that God created.”
“People try and hate on [Kyrie Irving] then you gotta remember, the brother’s a champion.”
—@stephenasmith on the importance of championships for a player’s legacy pic.twitter.com/SCM4x6tnCX
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 22, 2025
Every sport has its skeptics, critics, and naysayers. But in the NBA, the fan community often forgets quickly, sometimes even willfully. Smith’s broader point was that champions walk away with something far more meaningful than fame or fortune. “That’s what a moment in a Game 7, with a championship on the line, can do for you,” Smith said. “It’s something [that] people can never ever take away from you, and that’s the ultimate goal.”
For a player like Irving, whose career has ping-ponged between brilliance and drama, the reminder matters. In an era obsessed with player empowerment, branding, and media narratives, Smith reminded viewers what separates elite talent from lasting greatness: NBA championships. Plenty of NBA media pundits will continue to judge Irving for his decisions off the court.
When the stakes were highest in 2016, he delivered. Smith, never short on words, made his case. “The brother’s a champion.“ Nothing more and absolutely nothing less.
