Stephen A. Smith Used A Kobe Bryant Tribute To Bash Current NBA Players And People Were Not Happy

Stephen A. Smith Uses Kobe Bryant Tribute To Criticize NBA Players

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  • Stephen A. Smith used a Kobe Bryant tribute to criticize current NBA players over a variety of issues
  • People were not happy that the ESPN talking head used the anniversary of the death of the basketball legend to air some petty grievances
  • Read more NBA news here

It’s hard to believe Wednesday marked the second anniversary of the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the life of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and the seven other people on board, a development that still feels almost as surreal as it did when the news broke on that Sunday in 2020.

People around the basketball world remembered the fallen legend on a day when a statue of Kobe and Gianna was placed at the site of the accident,  and while Stephen A. Smith also used the occasion to pay tribute to Bryant, it’s safe to say plenty of people were less than thrilled with the route he opted to take.

The ESPN personality took a few minutes to reflect on the impact Bryant had on the game alongside Mike Greenberg on Get Up, and while there weren’t any glaring issues with that segment, the same can’t be said about a prerecorded video that also aired on the network.

In the package, Smith alluded to Bryant’s tireless work ethic while throwing shade at Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons for voluntarily missing games for a variety of well-documented (albeit somewhat controversial) reasons.

Smith was obviously implying that Bryant would’ve never let the issues that have led to that trio abstaining from action stand between him and the basketball court, but it’s easy to understand why plenty of people took issue with that assertion.

Even if you ignore the fact that Smith has repeatedly admitted he wasn’t incredibly close with Bryant, his decision to use the tribute as a vehicle for his own pettiness was wildly tone-deaf, and it’s easy to understand why he caught a ton of heat after the clip started to make the rounds.

Not a great look.

Connor Toole avatar and headshot for BroBible
Connor Toole is the Deputy Editor at BroBible. He is a New England native who went to Boston College and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. Frequently described as "freakishly tall," he once used his 6'10" frame to sneak in the NBA Draft and convince people he was a member of the Utah Jazz.