Kenny Smith responds to criticism of his comments about Sabrina Ionescu. What did he say?

Whether you agree or disagree with the level of backlash that Kenny Smith faced in response to his commentary during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend, it stands to reason that there was always going to be more to come. Accused of disrespecting Sabrina Ionescu’s performance during the WNBA star’s clash with Steph Curry in a first-of-its-kind 3-point contest, the former Houston Rockets star found himself on the receiving end of a whole lot of critique. Having now responded, we’re taking a look at the whole deal.

Kenny Smith responds to backlash over Sabrina Ionescu comments

If you caught our previous report, then you will know that NBA analyst Kenny Smith put his foot in hot water this past weekend, after his commentary about the three-point shooting contest between Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu was deemed to be less than respectful. For the purpose of context, immediately after the contest ended, Smith suggested that Ionescu, who was shooting from the NBA’s three-point range, should have shot from the WNBA line. When co-host and fellow former NBA star and Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller questioned Smith as to why he would say such a thing, Smith doubled down on his stance.

Indeed, he did so again during a Monday appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show, where he explained that “it’s much ado about nothing”, before stating that people had misunderstood the context of his comments. The two-time NBA champion then went on to state that he never meant any disrespect toward Ionescu, before clarifying that he felt that she was at a disadvantage due to the fact that Curry is accustomed to shooting from the NBA’s three-point line, and so would understandably have superior muscle memory when it comes to shooting from that range. In case you didn’t know Ionescu requested that she be allowed to shoot from the NBA’s three-point line and not the WNBA’s, though she did still use a WNBA basketball.

“Most people who know basketball understood what I was talking about. Actually, I was advocating for her, more than anything else, because basketball is muscle memory. So he practices from one range, she practices from another. ...There’s even a study...the guy who throws darts. And if you move him out even one step, his accuracy changes dramatically. ...So I’m like, ‘Why is [Curry] getting the advantage, to shoot at his line? That’s an advantage. It’s not gender, it’s not genetics,” said Smith.

Was Kenny Smith misunderstood?

As mentioned above, there was in fact a bit of tit-for-tat between Smith and Miller on air, with the one-time Pacers icon saying, “Well, according to you, you want her just playing with dolls.” Interestingly, Smith addressed that specific exchange when speaking on during his appearance on Monday.

“I think when Reggie was joking around about, ‘Oh, she can play with dolls.’ ...I have daughters, my thought when I first heard that was, ‘What’s wrong with that?’ You should play with dolls, and you can do Sports,” he said. In the end, Smith once again maintained that he never had any intention of disrespecting Ionescu, nor did he intend to ignite any controversy. “Most people just don’t check the tape, they want to just check the bait. My History and track record speaks for itself,” he said. When all is said and done, we leave you to be the judge.