“One of the worst superstars this game has ever seen” – Stephen A. Smith slams Kawhi Leonard for his unreliability

Kawhi Leonard has built a reputation for being the face of the "load management era," and he's at it again. After just two games in the postseason, the two-time Finals MVP was forced to miss a game due to injury.

Dating back to his time with the San Antonio Spurs, Kawhi Leonard has dealt with an array of injuries. He's never been able to stay on the floor consistently, and it's left fans an analysts wanting more.

When the news broke of Leonard missing Game 3 vs the Phoenix Suns, Stephen A. Smith did not hold back his thoughts. During an appearance on ESPN's "First Take," he stated that the LA Clippers star is one of the worst superstars in NBA history.

"Kawhi should be on the list of one of the worst superstars this game has ever seen."

"We know that as a talent he's a superstar, one that shows up when he plays, performs in the postseason arguably better than he does in the regular season."

"When you talk about a superstar that is unreliable, I want somebody to point out someone more flagrant than him."

Is Stephen A. Smith right about Kawhi Leonard?

Seeing that he is on the sidelines once again, it's hard to disagree with what Stephen A. Smith is saying. Because you never know when he'll be available, Kawhi Leonard is one of the worst kinds of superstar.

The main reason why Stephen A. and many others are angry is because of what he does when he's on the floor. To start the playoffs, Leonard was going toe-to-toe with Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns without Paul George. Now, the LA Clippers are without both their stars against one of the most stacked lineups in the NBA.

This is not the first time we've seen Leonard go down in the playoffs either. During the 2021 postseason, he suffered an ACL injury that instantly destroyed their title hopes. If he manages to stay healthy, a case could be made that they go on to face the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals that year.

The one time Leonard did stay healthy, he had fans on the edge of their seat. He put on an unreal performance in 2019 during the Toronto Raptors' championship run. No team could stop him, and he delivered one of the craziest game-winning shots in history.

Despite his ability to elevate his game in big moments, it's hard to disagree with Stephen A.'s bold take.