Stephen A. Smith rips Warriors; says they could’ve cost Mike Brown new Kings coaching job
NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith blasted the Golden State Warriors for Wednesday’s performance against the Memphis Grizzlies, saying they could have cost Mike Brown a job opportunity if the Kings hadn’t hired him already.
Smith unloaded on the Warriors during Thursday’s episode of “First Take” on ESPN after they suffered a 134-95 loss to the Grizzlies in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals. Brown, who was named the Kings’ head coach on Monday, served as acting head coach of the Warriors the past two games with Steve Kerr out due to NBA health and safety protocols after testing positive for COVID-19.
“That was one of the great ass whippings I’ve ever seen,” Smith said. “Excuse my language. The Warriors got their asses kicked. It was pretty bad. It was pretty bad. You’re down by as much as 55? And the star that’s gone from the team is not yours. It’s not like Steph Curry wasn’t playing. It’s not like Klay Thompson wasn’t playing. It’s not like Jordan Poole wasn’t playing. It’s not like Draymond Green wasn’t playing. Ja Morant wasn’t playing.”
Smith went on to mention Brown, who will conclude his sixth season as Kerr’s lead assistant with the Warriors before moving to Sacramento to start his new job with the Kings.
“One of the luckiest people in the National Basketball Association this morning is Mike Brown, the new coach of the Sacramento Kings,” Smith said. “I know Mike Brown. I love the guy personally. I know about some struggles at Cleveland, as a coach, nothing personal. Struggles in L.A. Coaching LeBron (James) in Cleveland, coaching Kobe (Bryant) in L.A. — struggles — but the bottom line is I respect the hell out of Mike Brown.
“Mike Brown stands today as the luckiest man in the NBA because I assure you, I don’t give a damn what anybody says, if the Sacramento Kings had not made a choice yet and Mike Brown had coached these last two games the way that this Golden State Warriors team looked, that team would have cost him the head coaching job.
“I’m not saying it would have been fair. I’m saying that as a person who has covered the NBA for over a quarter century. I’m telling you what I know, and there isn’t a soul in the NBA who would deny that this is true. If the Sacramento Kings — they won’t admit it now because they already made the hire — but if the Sacramento Kings had not made their choice, considering how Golden State looked, as putrid as they did in struggling to win Game 4 and then looked the way they looked last night, it would have cost him that head coaching job. They would not have given it to him.”
This story was originally published May 12, 2022 at 1:30 PM.
