“You Don’t Have a Ring”: Stephen A. Smith Begs to Differ With Kyrie Irving’s Message to Russell Westbrook

Recently, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith had his say on Kyrie Irving’s recent comments about Russell Westbrook. Irving had posted on Instagram commending Russ on the impact he has had on the NBA. Smith acknowledged Westbrook’s achievements, both on and off the court. However, he commented that the player had still failed to win a ring despite the high quality of teammates he had played with. The 55-year-old analyst made the comment on a recent episode of his podcast “The Stephen A. Smith Show.”

Smith is one of the most respected and well-known analysts in the world of basketball. He has previously been a regular criticizer of Kyrie Irving, questioning his ability to lead his teams despite their obvious talent. He again used his podcast to have a go at the Dallas Mavericks superstar, this time questioning his opinion on a fellow player.

Stephen A. Smith questions Kyrie Irving’s opinion on Russell Westbrook

Irving’s post claimed that Westbrook has inspired an entire generation to play the game “their own way.” While he agreed with part of the claim, Smith also said that Russ had still failed to win a ring despite the talent he had played with.

Apart from being with the LA Lakers, Westbrook has had some top teammates including Kevin Durant, James Harden, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Apart from his on-court success, Smith also spoke about Westbrook’s philanthropy:

“Here is what Kyrie Irving had to say about Russell Westbrook. He said he revolutionalized the game of basketball. Russell Westbrook is the most athletic point guard in the history of basketball. I know how much he cares, and that he never cheats us with effort. But in fairness, we can’t just leave what Kyrie Irving said and not point out the bad part in it. You don’t have a ring after having those teammates, that is not good.”

Breaking down Kyrie’s recent comment on Russell Westbrook pic.twitter.com/go4aS19AR6

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) August 7, 2023

While Smith pointed out the problem in Kyrie’s claim, he also called Russ the most athletic point guard of all time. Fair to say, while he does respect what Westbrook has brought to the game, his only issue is that he has failed to land a single championship.

Stephen A. Smith has often criticized Kyrie Irving for missing games

Stephen A. Smith has regularly criticized Irving over recent months for the number of games he has missed via injury. Irving had multiple issues on and off the court during his time at the Brooklyn Nets.

The player ended up demanding a trade, which eventually led to the Dallas Mavericks. However, Irving’s time at Mavericks thus far has been marred with injury and a failure to complement Luka Doncic.

Via his podcast, Smith had also sarcastically called for Irving to receive a huge contract because he was a professional at missing games. Smith’s criticism on Irving’s comments on Russell Westbrook simply looks to be an extension of his recent habit.