ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith started a lively debate about the NBA Finals just days before kickoff.
First Take sportscaster claimed that Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum had a better career than Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic.
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Smith previewed the upcoming NBA Finals on Tuesday’s edition of the sports debate show.
The 56-year-old was asked who he believed had a better NBA career of the two players.
Both Tatum and Doncic are tied in All-Star appearances with five each.
Slovenian point guard Doncic had an impressive year, averaging 33.9 points per game in the regular season.
But when asked to compare the two, Smith looked directly to postseason records for answers.
“I’m going with Jayson Tatum, believe it or not,” Stephen A. said.
“The problem is this: Luka has been in the league for six years.
“He missed the playoffs twice and was eliminated in the first round twice.
“So four of the six years, he didn’t make it past the first round or didn’t even make it to the first round.”
Stephen A. admitted that Doncic “made Tatum win” when it comes to “points, assists, rebounds and field goal percentage.”
“Did you know that in Jayson Tatum’s seven years in the NBA, he only went out in the first round once,” he continued.
“He’s been to five conference finals and now in his second NBA Finals appearance, and when you look at that kind of resume, that’s where I think he has the advantage.”
“Tatum will get more praise because he has never had a bad team in his career,” argued one fan in response to X.
“Luka is in the West. Tatum has more help. He arrived at the championship with a team already assembled and ready to compete”, agreed another.
“This man doesn’t understand football,” argued a third.
Stephen A. Smith’s journey through the media
STEPHEN A. Smith is now the face of ESPN and executive producer of First Take, having initially started working for the company in 2003.
Smith has held numerous roles at the network, including radio show host, contributions to SportsCenter and appearance on NBA Countdown.
He was a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1994 to 2010.
He started as an NBA writer before becoming a general sports columnist.
Prior to that, Smith worked as a reporter at the Winston-Salem Journal, the Greensboro News and the New York Daily News.
“Smart man not being a victim of score watchers,” countered a fourth.
“This is not an interesting opinion if we are talking strictly about career. Luka is the best player, but yes, Tatum has had the best career to this point,” added a fifth.
Tatum and Doncic face off on Thursday in Game 1 of the seven-game NBA Finals.
The first match will be at 8:30 pm, at the TD Garden, in Boston.
A supercomputer recently predicted the outcome of the series and believes Taytum will win Finals MVP.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
