Stephen A. Smith understands the gravity of media voting and its consequences on the NBA’s stars, not just in terms of awards or honors, but even earnings. He recently discussed how Klay Thompson is among the biggest names to be shortchanged by the media.
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All-NBA honors make players eligible to earn up to 30% of their team’s salary cap as per the Derrick Rose Rule. 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 Smith, 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 his second extension with the Warriors. He averaged 21.5 points on 40.2% 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 is decided by a panel of 99 broadcasters and reporters.
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 said on Gil’s Arena.
After not earning any All-NBA honors at the end of the 2018-19 campaign, Thompson still signed a 5-year, $189.9 million max contract. His annual salary was roughly 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 benefited in 2017. Over five years, that would have netted him an additional $30 million.
According to Smith, that’s a very valid reason for Klay to have some hostility toward the media. But not towards him, of course. “I wasn’t one of them, ’cause I had him [in] third-team All-NBA,” he added.
Stephen A. Smith calls out the media for costing Klay Thompson $30 Million 😬 pic.twitter.com/ANzb7y4K1x
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) March 12, 2025
Kemba Walker earned 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 had 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 raise a finger after Klay was snubbed. TNT’s Inside the NBA crew was 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 Smith had 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.
