JJ Redick Blasts Stephen A. Smith For Saying Kawhi Leonard Should Retire

For one reason or another, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith seems to unfairly blast Kawhi Leonard for being injured. There were moments when Smith called Kawhi "the worst superstar in the NBA", and said that Kawhi Leonard should retire.

Smith's comments were downright disrespectful to a superstar player that came back from an ACL tear to be a top 5 NBA player capable of averaging 30 points in the playoffs. Smith seems to lack any empathy for Kawhi Leonard, and JJ Redick wanted to make sure to let him know.

“I mean this in the nicest way possible to both of you, but listening to each of you right now, it’s very obvious that you’ve played zero high-level basketball, and you do not understand the requirements of doing that, and I do mean that in a nice way,” Redick told Smith.

.@jj_redick responds to @stephenasmith saying Kawhi Leonard needs to be forced into retirement: pic.twitter.com/OrkcQRMclc
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 26, 2023

Redick went on to describe just how meticulous Kawhi Leonard's work ethic was through injury. Kawhi's workouts left Redick in awe of just how much weight he was lifting, and how much Kawhi was "getting after it." Redick blasted Smith for questioning Leonard's injury just because he couldn't see it.

“I understand the frustration with the load management issue, what we’re talking about here, and questioning his injury, and you say ‘I’m not questioning his injury,’” Redick said. “You just said ‘We saw Paul George get hurt; we didn’t see Kawhi get hurt.’ Let’s give the guy some credit, he did it in Game 1. He went out there and battled in Game 2. Guess what? If he could play, he would play.”

This isn't the first time someone has mentioned just how amazing Kawhi Leonard's work ethic was. There was once a time when Patrick Beverley, who is a hard worker in his own right, revealed how impressed he was by Leonard's workouts.

"Seeing that man workout, working out with that man, it was a whole different level. It changed my whole life, changed my whole game."

Kawhi Leonard should be celebrated for being able to come back from an ACL tear and still be that good of an NBA player. Instead, analysts like Stephen A. Smith distort people's perceptions to destroy, instead of praise.