“Jordan Slipping Him Cash”: Fans Join In as Magic Johnson Slams Stephen A. Smith for Leaving Isiah Thomas Out of His List
Here we go again! Stephen A. Smith has once again taken social media by storm with his controversial take. The ESPN analyst just recently shared a list of All-Time Playoff guards. And he snubbed an important name: Isiah Thomas. Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson, though, was having none of it and called out the analyst for his mistake. Fans who agreed with the 5x NBA champion managed to drag Thomas’ arch-rival Michael Jordan into the conversation.
On the latest segment of NBA Countdown, Smith revealed the roster which is led by New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson. It looks impressive overall. Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry, and Allen Iverson followed Brunson on the roster. However, the Bad Boys Pistons‘ exclusion was noted by many, who is widely considered a pioneer for smaller guards in the league.
While many criticized Smith, the 5x NBA champion decided to remind him of Thomas’ stunning performance in the 1988 NBA Finals against the Lakers. He noted that despite having his right ankle injured, Thomas was able to score 25 points in one quarter.
Pointing out Smith’s mistake on the matter, Johnson wrote, “Stephen A. you forgot Isiah Thomas scored 25 points in one quarter on an injured leg against my Showtime Lakers during the 1988 NBA Finals! How could you leave him off your All-Time Playoff small guard list?”
Stephen A. you forgot Isiah Thomas scored 25 points in one quarter on an injured leg against my Showtime Lakers during the 1988 NBA Finals! How could you leave him off your All-Time Playoff small guard list? @stephenasmith
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 18, 2024
While the Pistons may have lost to the Lakers (103-102), Thomas’ performance couldn’t be denied its glory. And not just Magic Johnson, other members present on the show, Bob Myers, Mike Wilbon, and Malika Andrews, also seemed doubtful of Smith’s list. While Smith may not have answered Johnson’s question yet, fans have begun to assume new possibilities.
Fans accuse Stephen A. Smith of being biased
Fans and netizens believe that Michael Jordan’s infamous beef with Thomas could be the reason behind the Pistons star’s snub from Smith’s list. One netizen assumed that Jordan must be bribing Smith to make such biased statements. It seems absurd! While Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ rivalry with the Pistons and Thomas is known to many, this doesn’t seem to be a possibility. The comment read, “Jordan slipping him cash for that anti Isiah agenda.”
However, numerous comments seemed to fire their shots at Jordan. Another fan claimed that probably Smith is scared of Jordan, hence the exclusion of Thomas. Interestingly, Smith has often stated that he’s one of the very few people who gets in touch with the private Jordan. The fan wrote, “Cause he knows Mike would call him and cuss him out.”
Previously, Jordan’s former best friend Charles Barkley shared that Thomas was snubbed from the 1992 Dream team because of Jordan. So naturally, one of the netizens also pointed out this matter and wrote, “Same reason he wasn’t on the dream team lol.”
Another claimed the reason to be because Smith is a Jordan fanboy. While Jordan doesn’t come out to reply to trolls, he seemingly used Smith to send out a message after Scottie Pippen repeatedly fired shots at his former teammate following his book release. Smith revealed that MJ was hurt and felt betrayed. That’s why one comment read, “You know why he a jordan fan boy.”
Fans even called Smith out for not being a good analyst. While one wrote, “He’s (Smith) not a real expert,” another was irked by the list and wrote, “For real. I was yelling at my tv!!!!”
Do you agree with Magic Johnson or Stephen A. Smith? Let us know in the comments section below.
The post “Jordan Slipping Him Cash”: Fans Join In as Magic Johnson Slams Stephen A. Smith for Leaving Isiah Thomas Out of His List appeared first on EssentiallySports.
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