The inimitable Stephen A. Smith joined 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny & Guru” Wednesday and there was plenty to talk about.
In Tuesday night’s Game 2 matchup between the Warriors and Grizzlies in the Western Conference semifinals, Memphis forward Dillon Brooks was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul that Steve Kerr called “dirty” after it resulted in a fractured elbow for Gary Payton II.
Smith gave his unfiltered take on the situation and what he thinks should happen next with Brooks. You can hear the full interview above.
“Not a dirty player, but a dirty play,” Smith told Matt Steinmetz and Daryle “The Guru” Johnson. “Without question. I think that what he did not only warranted an ejection, I think it warrants a suspension. That’s my personal take on it. I’m incredibly sad and echo Steve Kerr’s sentiments about Gary Payton II, the work that he’s put in and the way he’s developed over the years, the way he’s developed throughout this season. I think that he’s an important component to the team’s success. I’m not saying they can’t overcome it, they can’t make up for his absence, but the bottom line is it’s going to be something that’s clearly difficult to do.”
Stephen A. said he agreed with Kerr’s comments that Brooks violated the “code” between NBA players. After bouncing around the league for five years, Payton finally established himself with the Warriors this season and looked primed to cash in a multiyear contract this offseason. Now that’s up in the air.
“You’re supposed to be mindful to be making sure that you don’t cause injury to a player, thereby jeopardizing his money and his career,” Smith said. “How could you not be mindful of the potential damage that could have done? I don’t think Dillon Brooks is a player by any stretch – his history and his resume doesn’t say that – but it was clearly a dirty play. If anybody has a right to speak up about that, It’s Steve Kerr.”
Smith also gave his thoughts on Draymond Green flipping off Memphis fans for the way they reacted to his head injury in Tuesday night’s game.
“You should wanna be a pariah with everybody else,” Smith said. “You’re trying to take them out and you don’t mind telling ‘em that. And you don’t mind being unapologetic about it. You’re letting them know, ‘I’m coming for you. I’m coming to take you down. I wanna send you into the offseason as soon as possible and I wanna smile while doing it, knowing it’s gonna leave you miserable for an entire offseason, because you thought your team had a chance and we ruined it.’ I like that.”
