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Stephen A Smith has always been one of the most hated figures in the NBA media landscape. It's easy to see why: his basketball takes are questionable at best and downright ludicrous at worst. Recently, Smith was once again in the spotlight for his crazy take on Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.
During an episode of First Take, Stephen A Smith went on a bit of a tangent about Nikola Jokic. The sports figure commented that the Nuggets star was NOT known as a dominant post player. That led to a lot of confused looks and a callout from co-host JJ Redick. Smith corrected himself, but the damage was done. Everyone hopped on the SAS hate train once again after this went viral.
Stephen A. Smith: "Jokic isn't known for having some kind of dominant post game now. That's not his game."
JJ Redick: "We've got 10 years of tracking data. You know what the No. 1 most efficient halfcourt play is? … A Nikola Jokic post up. Boom." 🎤💀pic.twitter.com/kcU30lhCtY
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 8, 2023
I’ve watched this 10 times, and I still can’t fathom it lol
— Jeremy Nicolls (@JeremyNicolls) June 8, 2023
Michael Jordan hasn’t told him what to say yet about Jokic.
He’s totally lost.
— MythNix (@MythNix) June 8, 2023
— Courtside Dave (@Courtside_Dave) June 8, 2023
Some people tried to give Stephen A. the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps what he meant by “dominant” was more of a physical dominance, similar to Shaquille O'Neal in his prime. Even with that interpretation, though, Smith's argument falls flat. The Nuggets center is plenty physical in his own right: he just doesn't shatter rims and dunks on people with power. Instead, Jokic tortures his opponents with a litany of ridiculous off-balance shots that go in all the time.
IFFFFFFF I had to defend Stephen A I'd say he was trying to say. Jokic is known for his passing and offensive versatility not neccesarily his post ups like Shaq ewing etc
This is still a wild take tho😭
— YungDbreezy/Son Whoaku #Himsey (@KidKinsey) June 8, 2023
I hate that if he don’t play like Shaq they say he is not dominant. That theory makes no sense
— PlaybyPlayNews (@PLAYBYPLAYNEWS) June 8, 2023
At the very least, the Heat can't seem to figure out what to do against Nikola Jokic's brilliance. The Nuggets star has been dominant throughout the entire playoffs, and it's no different in the Finals. The former two-time MVP is racking up triple-doubles left and right, bullying the Miami big men in his own special Jokic way.
That, right there, is the definition of the word dominance. You don't need to be a physical freak like Shaq or Giannis to be labeled as dominant. Sometimes, it's the quiet assassins that often do the most damage. Jokic has been near-unstoppable for the entire playoffs, and he's inching closer to leading the Nuggets to their first NBA Championship.
