Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.
Stephen A. comments on Klay Thompson’s return to the Chase Center for the first time as a Dallas Maverick.
Let's get started with two quick headlines in the NBA. We got to start in the Bay Area. Klay Thompson returned to the Chase Center as a Dallas Maverick after thirteen years and four championships with the Golden State Warriors. Thompson was welcomed with open arms and captain hats throughout the arena as the team played a tribute video to honor his time in Golden State. Clay requested a pregame speech by former teammate Steph Curry be canceled because he didn't want to get emotional prior to the game. In the end, the Warriors beat the Mavericks one seventeen behind Steph Curry's thirty seven points and a late three to seal the victory. Thompson scored twenty two on six to twelve shooting from deep in the loss. Let me say this, I think that Klay Thompson is going to regret not letting Steph Curry give that pregame speech.
See Ladies and gentlemen, life is about moments. It's about moments.
And when you consider what Klay Thompson has meant that organization, that franchise, that area, the Bay Area. I for one, the Chase Center is immaculate, it's fantastic. I like it, but nothing beats the Oracle. The Oracle was something special to behold. I'm just trying to tell y'all right now. When them brothers got on a roll and they started rainning threes from all over the place, that crowd and that arena, that dilapidated arena, shaking the shit.
I mean, it was something.
Special to behold. The Bay Area is the Bay Area. It's real, it's authentic, it's special. And Clay Thompson is a prodigal son of that area. I mean, this man is something special to them. And I think, yeah, it was his choice, and as a four time champion, that meant so much to the organization that had to end up departing because they didn't.
Believe in him anymore.
To disagree that the Dallas Mavericks clearly are believing in him, I guess he wanted to do that. But moments are not things you get back, ladies and gentlemen. You got to capitalize on certain moments. And I think Klay Thompson should have let Steph Curry give that pregame speech because I think have been very hard to hear Steph Curry speaking, considering the roar that would have emanated and descended down upon Klay Thompson from that crowd.
That's how much love they have for him.
Nevertheless, he showed up, hit six of his twelve three pointers. Okay, hit bout twenty two points, showed up respectably, But he wasn't Steph Curry.
That's Steph Curry that showed up in that last three minutes.
Looked like Steph Curry in the semifinals, in the finals, or the semifinals in the gold medal game for the Olympics in Parie. That's what I saw from Steph Curry yesterday. The brother spectacular, the greatest shooter God has ever created, and a four time champion of his own writer two Tome League MVP. No matter how great Klay Thompson was, he was never Steph Curry. And Steph Curry put on that show, finished with thirty seven and did his thing. Golden State's got a chance this year, y'all.
They got a chance.
If Steve Kerr continues to really highlight their debt, their depth and used that bench, I think they got a chance. I think they got a chance, and it's gonna be interesting. And I'll ask y'all list from a polling perspective, just tweet the Stephen A.
Smith Show or tweeted me Stephen A. Smith on X or whatever.
Who you think got a better chance or going to the finals, Golden State or Dallas. I'm not so sure I can summarily dismissed Golden State. I really really can't. The Sixers, however, in the Eastern Conference, might be another matter entirely because we got to get to that where Joel Andbi made his season debut with the Sixers after missing the first nine games of the season due to his left knee injury.
He's suspended for three games.
Okay, we know he missed games and injuries, but he's suspended for three games after shoving Marcus Hayes.
We know about that, Okay. Anyway, the Sixers.
Took on the Knicks my Knicks and then be scored just thirteen points on two four to eleven shooting from the field. He left the game not long after it began, but did return. The Sixers lost to the Knicks one eleven and ninety nine, bringing it overall record to two and eight on the season. As for Embiid, he said it would take time for him to regain confidence and pushing off on that.
Injured left knee.
I have to come to the defense of Joel and Bid in this regard.
I already spoke of it last week and how the.
Reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer, Marcus Hayes, should not have brought up his late brother or his son in talking about him and being critical of him, And I stand by that, although in the same breath, I stand by Marcus Hayes's right to write everything and to say everything else he has said about Joel Embiid as a columnist. It's as a columnist is his job to open, to editorialize and give his opinion based on the facts that are presented to us. And if that's the opinion that he concluded, there's absolutely positively nothing wrong with him doing that. And I'm not gonna hold that personally against Marcus Hayes. I just don't think he should have used the son, his late or his late brother. I think that was low. I think that was wrong. Getting back to Joel and Bid, though specifically all right, by the way they're both sitting out tonight's game, that would be Joel Embiid and Paul George left knee injury management. Ladies and gentlemen, let me be very clear, Joel Andbid has always been injured.
He's always been hurt. That's why it's very, very difficult for me to judge him.
But so much the brother was drafted in twenty fourteen and missed the first two years.
Who the hell does that? Two years? Two years because of his feet.
He's had foot injuries, He's had knee injuries, he's had back injuries, he's had shoulders, had hand injuries.
The man had a facial fracture.
I mean, damn, he's been so fragile you're kind of wonder whether you got that injury getting a facial I mean, that's how sensitive and delicate this.
Brother has been. I'm only kidding, of course, but still it's in that way. So we got to understand that.
And I think that when everybody's talking about him, I think the thing that they're missing that I find a bit unfair is that we're acting like the man is just in the offseason doing nothing but getting fat, and he's out of shape, et cetera, et cetera. Well, damn, if you heard all the time, and it's on the lower extremities. How are you supposed to get in shape? You can't work out?
But so much.
That's my thing, and I just think that that's something that's worth bringing up.
In fairness to him. Look, when he's healthy.
As a talent, he's one of the greatest big men this game has ever seen. As a talent, certainly, his credentials don't measure up. He's never even been to the conference finals, let alone the NBA finals. But as a talent, Joel and Bid is a monster. He's the real deal. And if you're giving me a healthy Joel and Bid and a healthy Nikoleokicic, I'm going with in Bid. I apologize as to nobody, but I would pick your kitchen all.
Day every day because he's always healthy. He's on the court. It's not the case where they be.
We need to get over that and understand that's just the way it is, and that's the way it's gonna stay.
There's no way around it. People trust me on this. There's no way around it.