Image Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
ESPN broadcaster Stephen A. Smith made a painful admission! After the New York Knicks suffered a 130-121 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Smith, an ardent New York fan, hailed the Pacers as a better team. After the Tuesday-night loss, the Knicks have been pushed 1-3 in the series, and are sitting on the brink of elimination.
Smith said, “They’re the better team from top to bottom. They are a better team than the New York Knicks. The New York Knicks have a star player, but they don’t have their depth, they don’t have their youth, they don’t have their coaching.”
Not only this, but he also went on to laud head coach Rick Carlisle and labeled him a ‘champion’. Smith said, “That’s right, I’m going to say it. Tom Thibodeau is a hell of a coach. But Rick Carlisle is a Hall of Fame-caliber coach. He’s a champion. He knows what it takes.”
Smith added that the Pacers are well coached, and it would take a huge amount of effort from the Knicks to get out of the situation. He added, “They can score, they can shoot, they’re athletic, and they’re exceptionally well-coached, and it’s going to take a Herculean effort from the New York Knicks to overcome the situation.”
Is Tyrese Haliburton A Superstar? – Kendrick Perkins and Stephen A. Smith Voice Their Opinion
In the same show, Smith and his fellow ESPN colleague, Kendrick Perkins discussed if Tyrese Haliburton deserves the tag of a superstar. Perkins said that there are only five superstars in the league so far, which include LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic. The former Boston Celtics star went on to say that the rest of the players are earning to be the next superstars.
Perkinsa said, “There’s only five superstars in the league- LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jokic. The rest of the guys in this league are earning their stripes to be superstars.” He went on to say that is a great player and has been playing like a great player.
The 2008 champion said, “Is Tyrese Hallebertton a great player? A good, pretty great player. Absolutely. He’s a great player right now in this postseason from what he’s been showing us. He’s been playing like a great player.” Stephen A. Smith chipped in and said that Haliburton played like a superstar in the last game, referring to his historic triple double.
The 57-year-old said, “He played like a superstar last night. They say you make your money in the regular season. You make your legacy in the postseason. We talked about that the other day. He is in a position where he is making his legacy. And when you look at it from that standpoint, the fact of the matter is you got a whole bunch of people that want to talk.”
Smith then lashed out at the players who voted the 25-year-old ‘Most overrated NBA player’ in the past season. He said that those players must explain the reason behind voting Haliburton or their opinions should never be asked again. He said, “I want to know who these players were that labeled him overrated. They got some explaining to do or they should never be asked for their opinions again.”
Notably, the Pacers guard has been averaging 19.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game in 2024-25 playoffs. Talking about the Pacers, they will clash against the Knicks in Game 6 of the series on Thursday, May 29.