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

Stephen A. Smith has labeled Kawhi Leonard as “one of the worst superstars” in NBA history, calling it “a damn shame” that the Clippers have 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 power in the league, leading the Raptors to a championship in 2019, but his career has increasingly been defined by load management in recent seasons.

Since helping Toronto defeat Golden State in the Finals, Leonard has not played more than 60 regular season games in any season since then, missing all of last season.

After controlling 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.

However, his knee sprain robbed the Clippers of any momentum and Smith was quick to complain about the “unreliable” superstar’s situation.

And Stephen A. Smith didn’t mince words about 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 on Thursday.

“That’s right, I said it. Because anyone who watches basketball knows I’m obviously not talking about his skills. We know that the broth is big. We know that as a talent he is a superstar.

“One that shows up, when he plays… arguably outperforms the regular season in the postseason. He’s that guy. But if you’re talking about a superstar who’s unreliable, I want someone to point me to someone more egregious than him. You’ve been managing him all season. He takes every conceivable advantage.

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

“It’s a damn shame they have to rely on this guy,” he said. “Because you just can’t rely on him.”

Leonard wore 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, with Lue himself calling the injury “deflating” after the Clippers’ loss Thursday.

“I think more for Kawhi, because you have a guy who comes from ACL, hasn’t missed a rehab session, eats well, 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 on him, for all the work he puts into it. I feel sorry for him.’

Leonard is considered an everyday player, though the early scheduling of Game 4 on Saturday at 12:30 a.m. local time could hurt his chances of returning to that game.