The competitive edge of Kenny Smith has remained intact even after nearly three decades post-retirement. The sports analyst recently displayed a glimpse of it as he defended himself against the online influencer FamousLos. The latter called out the 2x champion for his knock knees, a medical condition that has tilted the Jet’s knees inward over time while keeping his ankles apart.
Advertisement
FamousLos recently uploaded an Instagram clip that saw him poke fun at the condition of Smith’s knees. “The fact that Kenny played in the NBA with these knees alone makes him the GOAT man,” he mockingly stated while watching an NBA on TNT clip that showed Smith’s bent knees.
Along with that, he also stitched a short video of his exchange with the Inside the NBA crew member, as he can be seen telling him, “I just wanna see you walk.” “Kenny playing basketball with these knees should be studied,” FamousLos wrote in the caption of his post.
The clip captured the attention of Smith as he expressed his thoughts in the comments. “You still can’t guard me! You too little,” the former Houston Rockets player said in response to all the trolling. NBA fans loved Smith’s brilliant response as they flocked his replies with laughing emojis.
Interestingly, this was not the first time NBA fans had highlighted his physical condition. In 2022, a fan shared a recording of a TNT broadcast on X (formerly Twitter) addressing the same with the caption, “Always been the most fascinating thing about Kenny Smith. Never seen someone so knocked knee’d with that much game lol.”
Amidst all the noise, there has been a lot of interest amongst fans to comprehend how the 58-year-old sustained a 10-year-long NBA career with knock knees. But the situation is probably the other way around. His current condition has resulted from spending a decade in a physically competitive league that puts a lot of stress on an athlete’s knees.
As the point guard of his team, Smith had to switch directions rapidly and constantly on the court. This habit has often led to former backcourt players facing health issues in the long term such as this one. Changing directions swiftly and jumping high on the hardwood has affected the knees of many point guards. A similar condition that comes to mind is the arched legs of soccer players.
Kenny Smith had valid reasons to back himself
Racing to the videoboard has become a recurring theme in the TNT studio with Smith often competing against his co-panelists Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal. Even with his knock knees, the Jet has rarely fallen short of glory as he won against Chuck on several instances. During those occasions, he has rarely refused to embrace the challenge, further highlighting his nature as a competitor.
So, his response to FamousLos was not surprising for the regular followers of the league. Undoubtedly, the analyst viewed the remarks as jokes. Yet, it would be interesting to witness a 1v1 matchup between them.
