As a veteran media personality, Stephen A. Smith understands the gravity of media voting and the consequences it can have for the NBA’s stars. He recently appeared on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast and discussed how Klay Thompson is among the biggest names to be negatively affected by the media’s power.
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Receiving All-NBA honors makes players eligible to earn up to 3o% of their team’s salary cap as per the Derrick Rose Rule. However, for hometown stars, who have at least seven years of pro experience, All-NBA honors can make them eligible for up to 35% of the salary cap.
According to Stephen A., Thompson deserved to be in that second category following his performance in the 2018-19 season. It was a contract year for the sharpshooter who was set to sign only his second extension with the Warriors.
He averaged 21.4 points on 40% shooting from deep while appearing in 78 games and tied his career-high in steals that season (1.1). Unfortunately, he would still not be selected to an All-NBA team, which are decided by a panel of 99 broadcasters and reporters.
During his recent appearance on ‘Gil’s Arena’, Smith used Thompson’s case to address how the media can affect a player’s ability to make more money.
“It’s no way something like that should mess with a cat’s money. Klay Thompson has a legitimate case to hate media for the rest of his life. They cost him $30 million,” the ESPN analyst argued.
After not earning any All-NBA honors at the end of the 2018-19 campaign, Thompson still signed a 5-year $189 million max contract. His annual salary was roughly at 30% of the team’s $109.4 million salary cap. However, if he had been voted to the All-NBA Third Team, Thompson would be eligible for the supermax the way Stephen Curry was in 2017.
Over 5 years, that would have net him an additional $30 million. According to Smith, that’s a very valid reason for Klay to have some hostility towards the media. But not towards him, of course. “I wasn’t one of them, ’cause I had him [in] third-team All-NBA,” he explained.
Stephen A. Smith calls out the media for costing Klay Thompson $30 Million 😬 pic.twitter.com/ANzb7y4K1x
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) March 12, 2025
Ultimately, Kemba Walker would earn the final guard spot on the 2018-19 All-NBA Third Team. He did average more points, rebounds and assists but Walker was also the sole star on a struggling Hornets roster, which inevitably allowed him to play a greater offensive role.
After hearing about his exclusion, Thompson himself commented, “Do I think there’s that many guards better than me in the league? No.”
Stephen A. wasn’t the only media personality to argue that Klay was snubbed either. TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ crew were also livid when the All-NBA Teams were announced that season.
“There is no doubt in my mind that Klay Thompson is either the second-best or third-best shooter in our game. It would be James Harden, Paul George and he,” Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith argued.
Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson still believed that Walker had a worthwhile campaign, but Smith and Shaquille O’Neal were staunchly against his selection over the Warriors’ #11.
