The NBA is struggling to get competitiveness back into the game as teams focus on shooting easy threes than working hard to compete elsewhere. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith believes hard work is down to two players as Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo represent something other players do not possess.
The drive the two superstars have in trying to win games has been lost in a crowd of underdeveloped young players. That has made it difficult for teams to either eke the best out of those players or make them follow schemes to best utilize their talents.
If a team has the likes of Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo, their energy and drive to win tends to rub off on their teammates. That is what enticed Stephen A. Smith to include them as franchise cornerstones if he were to be the President of Basketball Operations of any team.
The only job I would be interested in basketball is the President of Basketball Operations. I’m a bottom-line kind of guy, I’m about the results, not the minutia. I would go a long way towards establishing a culture. The kind of star that I will want to play for me is one of two people. Giannis Antetokounmpo or Steph Curry.
Stephen A. Smith on the ‘It is What it is’ podcast
Sat down with my guy @Mr_Camron
Check out the full interview on YouTube pic.twitter.com/H2WUKo05Wg
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) December 19, 2024
He also told rapper Cam’ron that he will build a team where accountability was the priority. There would not be much of anything else except players who are willing to give it all for NBA titles. That is why he would prefer either of those two superstars as his team leaders.
Stephen A. Smith won’t be a part of NBA team any time soon
Stephen A. Smith might want to be the President of Basketball Operations of an NBA franchise. However, with his ongoing contract negotiations with ESPN and its parent ABC, chances of that happening for at least the new five years are slim.
His current deal will expire after the end of the 2024-25 NBA season. That means, he is closer to finalizing it as he looks to become the highest paid sports broadcaster. He is expecting a 6-year contract worth $120 million to seal the deal.
That means, at least until age 63, he will continue to be a part of ESPN ‘s shows. However, many ESPN employees have left their current contracts to take up jobs with franchises. The most recent being Smith’s colleague JJ Redick who became the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
If he feels anytime down the road that he was done with TV, he might talk with owners about the prospects of taking over in that role. The man who famously scored 1.5 points at Winston-Salem University, could then possibly fulfill his dream.
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