Stephen A. Smith: Warriors’ Game 6 performance was ‘shameful for a champion’

Stephen A. Smith was all about the Warriors last season, predicting them to win a title weeks before they actually did.

But ESPN’s head commentator did not hold back any criticism of the defending champions after the Warriors blew a shot to clinch their first-round series at home on Friday night.

After the Warriors’ 118-99 loss to the Kings in Game 6, Smith unloaded on Golden State, saying their effort was “shameful” at halftime of the Lakers-Grizzlies game.

“It was horrible. It was one of the worst performances, one of the most lethargic performances I’ve ever seen from the Golden State Warriors in all of my years,” Smith said on ESPN. “They didn’t collapse in the fourth quarter or anything like that, they came out there like they were disinterested in playing.”

It’s hard to argue with him, either. Golden State never led after the first quarter and never even got it close in the fourth quarter against the young Kings teams.

Smith said Stephen Curry could be forgiven for an off-night, since he “carries the franchise and is the face.” But Smith called out Klay Thompson, saying Thompson wasn’t strong in the second half, and especially Jordan Poole, who made 2-of-11 shots and only had seven points.

“Last time I checked, he got a bag, he got some money. He’s supposed to spell for them when they don’t got it going on,” Smith said, adding “pathetic” after reading Poole’s stats.

Two days after Charles Barkley guaranteed a Kings blowout win on TNT before the Warriors won Game 5, ESPN’s Michael Wilbon owned up to missing the mark on Game 6, having previously said he thought the Warriors would “dominate the game.”

Wilbon agreed with Smith’s assessment that it was “an embarrassing, pathetic, lethargic performance by the Golden State Warriors — shameful for a champion.”

Jalen Rose added that he was impressed with the Kings, saying, “Sacramento beat the Warriors, Golden State didn’t lose.”

Smith, Wilbon and Rose will likely be part of ESPN’s coverage of Game 7 between the Warriors and Kings, which will air on ABC starting at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. NBC Sports California will also broadcast the game.

This story was originally published April 28, 2023 at 10:57 PM with the headline "Stephen A. Smith: Warriors’ Game 6 performance was ‘shameful for a champion’."