ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is known for being a bit dramatic with his sports commentary, make no mistake about it. That being said, his comments about Nikola Jokic this Tuesday were simply unwarranted.
During this Tuesday’s episode of “First Take,” the crew debated if Jokic is the toughest player to guard in the NBA.
When it was Smith’s turn to offer his thoughts on this topic, he decided to take a few shots at Jokic’s physique.
“Listen, I understand that this big tub of lard that can’t jump on to a curb is unstoppable,” Smith said. “I love Nikola Jokic. It’s just unbelievable to watch him. He really is. [But] he ain’t harder to guard than Steph Curry.”
“I understand that this big tub of lard that can’t jump onto a curb is unstoppable… I love Nikola Jokic. It’s just unbelievable to watch him… He ain’t harder to guard than Steph Curry.”
Agree with Stephen A. Smith? 🤔
(via @FirstTake)pic.twitter.com/GnIeOXi42h
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 6, 2023
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Fans rightfully called out Smith for being downright disrespectful to the two-time MVP.
“This is very weird,” one fan tweeted. “Jokic just steamrolled the Western Conference why tf are you insulting him like that?”
Another fan said, “What is the need of prefacing every positive Jokic take with insults?”
Mocking Jokic’s physique is just wrong, and Smith should consider retracting his recent comments.
On the court, Jokic has been outstanding this postseason, averaging 30.4 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game. We should expect nothing less than an elite performance in Game 3.