Top 5 Stephen A. Smith rants of all time

Stephen A. Smith is one of the most entertaining analysts on TV. Every season, Smith provides fans with viral moments and unabated thoughts on trending topics around the NBA.

However, sometimes Smith's rants can get a little heated, especially if it's a topic that he feels strongly about. In fact, one of Smith's most popular rants took place before the social media era, yet is still widely shared and referenced by sports fans today.

With that being said, let's take a look at Stephen A. Smith's top-5 (basketball-related) rants of all time:

#5, Stephen A. Smith on Kyrie Irving

Take your pick. There are countless rants from Stephen A. Smith regarding Kyrie Irving from the past few seasons. From when Irving sat out during COVID, to when he forced his way out of the Brooklyn Nets, Smith hasn't been a fan of how he has conducted his business.

See the video below:

Kyrie Irving recently signed a new deal with the Dallas Mavericks and will likely find himself making headlines in the upcoming season, however, Irving will be hoping those headlines are for all the right reasons this time.

#4, LA Clippers dropping 3-1 lead

Stephen A. Smith was infuriated by the way Kawhi Leonard and Paul George allowed a 3-1 lead to slip in the Western Conference Semi-Finals, with the team losing in Game 7.

During that contest, Leonard struggled to reach his usually high standards and found himself in the line of fire when it came to intense criticism.

Smith didn't hold back, as he lambasted a LA Clippers team that had been dubbed eventual champions due to their incredible depth and elite star power on the wings.

#3, Stephen A. Smith's rant on Kwame Brown

When Stephen A. Smith made his infamous "scrub" remarks about Kwame Brown, Twitter and social media weren't ubiquitous in everyday life. Yet, all these years later, that rant is still referenced on a daily basis.

Recently, Smith addressed his words on Kwame Brown during an interview on Paul George's "Podcast P" show, noting how he's shocked that memes and soundbites from that rant are still prevalent in modern basketball culture.

#2. Phil Jackson's Knicks Tenure

Toward the end of Phil Jackson's reign with the New York Knicks front office, things were going badly.

Kristaps Porzingis had made his frustrations known, had skipped an exit interview, and a trade request was looming. Carmelo Anthony had been publicly ridiculed by Phil Jackson, in what appeared to be Jackson ushering the superstar scorer toward the exit.

Stephen A. Smith was not impressed with how Jackson was running things in New York and let his feelings be known during an on-air rant that held very little back.

"Phil Jackson is an absolute disgrace," Smith said on First Take. "He needs to get the hell out of New York City, big time."

Smith went on to urge Knicks owner James Dolan to pay Phil Jackson to leave the Knicks, noting how he was disgusted with the situation.

#1, Knicks miss out on Zion Williamson

Stephen A. Smith is a huge New York Knicks fan. Whenever he is on air, Smith doesn't hide his fandom and is never afraid to call out his favorite franchise when he thinks they've made a mistake.

As such, his on-air rant after the Knicks missed out on the first overall pick, which would have landed them Zion Williamson, is among the most entertaining clips from his career with ESPN.

The New York Knicks ended up with the third overall pick in that year's draft, leading Smith to lament the Knicks' lack of luck in their attempts to build a contending roster.