Kawhi Leonard is ‘one of worst superstars’ ever, says Stephen A. Smith, as star is sidelined again

Stephen A. Smith has branded Kawhi Leonard ‘one of the worst superstars’ in NBA history, and called it a ‘damn shame’ that the Clippers need to rely on him after the forward missed Game 3 of LA’s series vs. the Suns with a knee sprain.

Leonard is arguably the best two-way force in the league and led the Raptors to a championship in 2019, but his career has increasingly been defined by ‘load management’ in recent seasons.

Since helping Toronto beat Golden State in the Finals, Leonard has failed to reach 60 regular season games in any season since, and missed the entirety of last season.

After managing his knee all season and making just 50 starts, Leonard – without co-star Paul George – scored 38 points in Game 1 to stun Phoenix before scoring 31 in a Game 2 loss.

His knee sprain has sapped the Clippers of any momentum they had, however, and Smith was quick to lament the ‘unreliable’ superstar’s situation.

Kawhi Leonard’s injury issues have cropped up again in the postseason for the Clippers

And Stephen A. Smith  minced no words about the two-time champion Leonard

‘Kawhi Leonard should be on the list of one of the worst superstars this game has ever seen,’ he said on ESPN’s First Take after the Clippers lost 129-124 Thursday.

‘That’s right, I said it. Because anybody that watches basketball knows I’m obviously not talking about his skills. We know the brotha’ is big time. We know that as a talent, he’s a superstar. 

‘One that show’s up, when he plays… performs in the postseason arguably better than he performs in the regular season. He is that dude. But when you talk about a superstar that is unreliable, I want somebody to point me out somebody more flagrant than him. You’re load managing him all through the season. He takes every perk imaginable.

While Smith noted that Leonard’s injuries are ‘legitimate’ and he understands the ‘hard work’ the player does on his body, he apparently doesn’t think the Clippers can count on him.

‘It’s a damn shame that this man is who they have to rely on,’ he said. ‘Because you just can’t rely on him.’

Leonard was in street clothes as the Clippers lost to the Suns in Game 3 on Thursday

Smith said he was ‘genuinely sad’ for LA coach Ty Lue, and Lue himself called the injury ‘deflating’ after the Clippers’ loss Thursday.

‘I think more so for Kawhi, because you have a guy who’s coming off ACL, hasn’t missed a rehab session, eats right, eats clean, does everything he can for his body, works extremely hard to get to this point. Then you have something like this happen,’ he told reporters.

‘So it’s tough for him, for all the work that he puts in. I feel bad for him.’

Leonard is considered day-to-day, although the early scheduling of Game 4 on Saturday at 12:30 local time could hurt his chances of returning in that game.