Stephen A. Smith has landed himself in hot water after paying tribute to the late Kobe Bryant with a video in which he throws current NBA players under the bus for not living up to the precedent set by the late Lakers legend.
“Players missing games for reasons that have nothing to do with injury,” Stephen A. says in the clip, as footage of Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving appear on screen, “That was not Kobe Bryant.”
“Players collecting paychecks without regard to regular season participation, that was not Kobe Bryant,” Smith continues. “Players prioritizing any and everything but championships, that was not Kobe Bryant.”
Not long after ESPN aired the clip, people blasted Smith for making an example out of Kobe’s legacy at the expense of current players. “The way Stephen A. Smith managed to squeeze in a Kyrie + Kawhi diss during his Kobe tribute is true villain work,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Stephen A Smith loves using Kobe Bryant and his relationship with the current players to push his own mindset and agenda and jab at them,” wrote another.
Check out more reactions to Stephen A. Smith’s tribute to Kobe below.
