Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant suffered an unfortunate ankle injury while warming up for the team's win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, and Stephen A Smith blamed the sneakers for the ailment.

“I got this problem, I just want to say this, I'm a fan of Nike…but I got to tell you something right now: I've never liked KD's sneakers. Ever!” Smith ranted on First Take on Thursday.

“From the standpoint of them being low tops. Whatever happened to protective wrapping your ankle? I just look at a gruelling NBA schedule, running up and down the basketball court, how physical the game can be, much you use your legs, you're making sharp cuts, you're jumping, you're coming down, all of this other stuff.

I never liked the fact that I always saw him with low tops…I'm just saying, whatever happened to high tops? Having some sneakers that wrapped your ankles a little bit, so we don't see that kind of stuff.”

Smith went on to praise Kevin Durant, remarking how even through the various injuries he has suffered, “every time he's on the basketball court, it looks like he hasn't missed a beat,” but he worries about the Suns' championship chances without the superstar.

“He is the piece,” Smith asserted. “There are no title aspirations that are reasonable for the Phoenix Suns without Kevin Durant. It starts and ends with him. If he ain't there, they don't have a snowball's chance in hell.”

Stephen A Smith believes the Suns will be just fine in the long run, as long as KD is able to return to the court.

“We know how elite, how mercurial, how great this brother is when he's healthy, and he's also the easiest person to transition back into a lineup because he just has that kind of game, that kind of knowledge and brilliance, that kind of efficiency,” the host praised.

“But the bottom line is…those damn sneakers.”

The Phoenix Suns will look to make it five wins in a row when they welcome the Sacramento Kings to the Footprint Center on Saturday night.