Let’s get ahead of ourselves, shall we?
The 2022 NBA Finals don’t start until Thursday night at Chase Center, but Stephen A. Smith is already thinking about 2024. By then, Stephen A. thinks the Warriors will have added two more championship banners to the rafters.
“I see the Warriors winning two of the next three titles,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take Tuesday. “That’s what I see.”
First things first, Golden State has to get past the Boston Celtics, who have a deep squad beyond star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. But the Warriors also have depth beyond their championship-tested trio and Smith is all aboard the hype train.
“I’m thinking about Steph Curry, I’m thinking about Klay (Thompson), I’m thinking about Draymond (Green), but I’m also thinking about Jordan Poole, I’m thinking about (Jonathan) Kuminga,” Smith said. “Yes, I’m gonna bring up James Wiseman. Yes, I understand he’s been out all season long. But the brother’s a 7-footer with skills. I think once you insert him into the equation with Kevon Looney still there, with Draymond still there, I like their chances. I like Moses Moody, I like what I’ve seen from him, I like Kuminga. I really love Kuminga, actually. I’m looking at the Golden State Warriors being at least eight deep.”
Warriors owner Joe “Light Years” Lacob would probably love to hear this take from Smith. He has a point, though, as Poole, Kuminga, Moody and Wiseman are all 22 and younger and showed differing degrees of promise throughout their respective young careers.
With a ring this year, Steph, Klay, Draymond, and Andre Iguodala are trying to join the 40 other players in NBA history to have ever won four championships. Only 27 players have ever won five titles as a player, including Warriors coach Steve Kerr. Smith thinks Curry is bound to join the five-time champ club eventually.
“I believe Steph Curry will eclipse LeBron James and capture five championships in his career, while LeBron is still stuck on four,” Smith said. “That is what I believe will happen.”
The cart is definitely in front of the horse here, but that’s Stephen A.’s job isn’t it? If ESPN can find a way to turn a Warriors title run into a LeBron angle, they’ll do it.
As for the people playing the game, Steph is obviously more concerned about Marcus Smart and the Celtics than where his legacy stands against LeBron’s in 2024.
