Is Kenny Smith Anti Kings?

[kingsfan_4Life]

I apologize if it's just me as it very well could be, but it seems like anytime I'm watching TNT post-game that has to deal with the Kings, Kenny Smith seems to be much more critical of the Kings that Shaq or Charles is..... Again, this MAY just be me, and maybe I'm just reading too much into his comments....I apologize if I'm incorrect in this statement. I know that Kenny played for the Kings, which is the only reason I'm bringing it up.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

My brother noticed this and asked me about it. He's the deal, to the best of my knowledge.

Kenny did not want to be drafted by Sacramento. He's a New York kid - big city guy. In 1987, the Kings passed up their hometown boy Kevin Johnson, and picked Kenny Smith. KJ was immediately taken next.

And it's hard to blame him. At the time - the Kings WERE an NBA dead end, especially if you were a good rookie trying to launch a career. They were horribly managed. So Kenny got out after a couple years here and reached his full potential in the NBA helping the Rockets win a couple championships.

And I think he's been bitter ever since.

 

[parker]

Not sure he is anti-kings as much as one of those guys who have a hard time acknowledging or seeing change.

Things were better in his day, teams like the warriors are good, kings are bad. I've always seen him as a pretty simplistic thinker, so it's not surprising he looks at the surface of this series and thinks the warriors will win. He doesn't have any in- depth knowledge of the kings, so he picks what he knows and uses cliches to justify his surface level takes.

 

[Merdiesel]

My brother noticed this and asked me about it. He's the deal, to the best of my knowledge.

Kenny did not want to be drafted by Sacramento. He's a New York kid - big city guy. In 1987, the Kings passed up their hometown boy Kevin Johnson, and picked Kenny Smith. KJ was immediately taken next.

And it's hard to blame him. At the time - the Kings WERE an NBA dead end, especially if you were a good rookie trying to launch a career. They were horribly managed. So Kenny got out after a couple years here and reached his full potential in the NBA helping the Rockets win a couple championships.

And I think he's been bitter ever since.

I’ll never respect an athlete that immediately sh*ts on the team that drafts them. “Big city guy” sounds like another word for douche bag.

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

I’ll never respect an athlete that immediately sh*ts on the team that drafts them. “Big city guy” sounds like another word for douche bag.

You're a rookie. You want to go to a team that has prospects of winning or at least is competently managed. I'm the biggest homer in the world but I can acknowledge what an absolute nightmare our management was back then.

I am sympathetic to a rookie being drafted into a horribly managed situation. Our team was going nowhere.

If he didn't get out of Sac - he's not going to single handedly turn the team around - and he doesn't have the career he does. I see his side of it.

 

[Kingz19]

I don’t think so. I remember in the early 2000’s he was far more enthusiastic about those Kings teams than Charles was. Barkley didn’t like those teams. Now, Chuck thinks the current Kings are better than even most of the fans do lol. It was the opposite when the Kings were last good.

Kenny Smith for whatever reason, when he has talked about the Kings this playoffs it always seems like he’s “pumping the brakes” or skeptical.

It could partially be because the Kings are playing the Warriors…and he’s not ready for the prospect of the Warriors dynasty being ended at the hands of a team they weren’t sure would make the play in when they originally appeared on TNT this season.

Overall, I think he’s still learning about this Kings team as most national guys are…

and to be fair, the Kings haven’t been terribly that impressive in the series for those of us who have watched them all season.

I mean, there have been some pleasant surprises(better defense) but for the casual national observer; watching all the clanked threes, Domas being neutralized and the ugly turnovers it’s creating, and the game to game underperformance of atleast three Kings starters..they might be wondering what all the fuss was about…but here they are. One win away from knocking off the champs.

They have shot terribly in almost all of the games except games 2 and 6.

One of their two all stars and main distributer has mostly been taken out of his game

They have turned it over a lot

It goes to Charles point, The Kings haven’t played that well and are basically a Harrison Barnes buzzer beater going in away from already having run the Warriors. He think if the Kings shoot well, the Warriors aren’t likely to beat them. With how this series has looked, I don’t think he’s out of line.

Anyway, Kenny I’m sure hated his time in Sacramento…but I don’t think he holds it against Kings teams. He hasn’t in the past. I just don’t think he’s bought in yet.

 

[jiimbob]

I’ll never respect an athlete that immediately sh*ts on the team that drafts them. “Big city guy” sounds like another word for douche bag.

Billy Owens, what a douch. Fortunately for us Golden State was nuts enough to break up Run TMC for him.
But yeah remember drafting Smith well, didn’t like him then or now.

 

[KainLear]

From a production point of view, since Charles is openly supporting the Kings 110% (he just predicted the Kings to reach the Conference Finals), it would make sense for his co-host to take the other team just for debate's sake.

Just something to think about. Haha...

 

[Insomniacal Fan]

From a production point of view, since Charles is openly supporting the Kings 110% (he just predicted the Kings to reach the Conference Finals), it would make sense for his co-host to take the other team just for debate's sake.

Just something to think about. Haha...

I'm pretty sure this is what's going on. Trying to give every opinion some airtime so everybody hears their opinion represented on TV.

 

[NewArena]

Certainly feels that way, yes. After game 2 he was so despondent and weird.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

I apologize if it's just me as it very well could be, but it seems like anytime I'm watching TNT post-game that has to deal with the Kings, Kenny Smith seems to be much more critical of the Kings that Shaq or Charles is..... Again, this MAY just be me, and maybe I'm just reading too much into his comments....I apologize if I'm incorrect in this statement. I know that Kenny played for the Kings, which is the only reason I'm bringing it up.

It’s not just you. It’s been clear to me for a long, long while that Kenny has a very large chip on his shoulder regarding the KINGS organization, and to a lesser degree the City of SAC by just mere association.

Any time I hear him interviewed about the KINGS he’s typically whining about how bad the org was back then. We get it. They were bad. In a lot of different ways. But move on already, Kenny. Those in power back in those days haven’t been in power in decades. Three different primary ownership have controlled the team since. And countless different front offices and GM’s.

Harold Pressley was part of that era. He still lives around here. So was Jerry Reynolds. He still lives around here too. And both vocally support the KINGS as fans.

Apparently some are better than others at moving on and being an adult. Kenny Smith, not so much.

 

[est.1999]

This is all dictated by the producers

 

[Livinthedream]

Mike Wilbon said the other day that the Kings are underestimated and under appreciated. But he keeps going with the Warriors because he's seen them do it for the last 10 years.

Sometimes it's as simple as that.

 

[PurpleHaze]

For what it's worth, Kenny Smith lives in Los Angeles. Charles Barkley lives in Phoenix. Shaq for the longest time mostly residing in Florida. I think there might certain homer attitude by Kenny since many of his friends in the southland being Laker fans would give him a hard time if were on Kings bandwagon as much as Barkley and Shaq.

 

[Hoovtrain]

I’ve always thought so

 

[QWERTYLICIOUS]

Mike Wilbon said the other day that the Kings are underestimated and under appreciated. But he keeps going with the Warriors because he's seen them do it for the last 10 years.

Sometimes it's as simple as that.

Which is fine with me. Because, until we actually do it (TODAY), why should he think otherwise? The Warriors have been here. The Warriors have done it. We haven't (not in recent memory, at least). Wilbon, to me, is not throwing shade at us at all; He's just being honest, and I don't necessarily mind his kind of honesty, especially in this situation. We're a young team, and have yet to experience a game 7. Today's performance is going to go a long way in dictating how the media views this team going forward.

 

[Kingster]

Kenny Smith just isn't that smart. He thinks he is. But he isn't. It's harder for him than most to recognize that has a team has transformed itself into a winner, especially when he's made up his challenged mind that they'll never win.

 

[TaxMan]

Billy Owens, what a douch. Fortunately for us Golden State was nuts enough to break up Run TMC for him.
But yeah remember drafting Smith well, didn’t like him then or now.

Looking back I have a hard time getting too mad at any 18 year old’s immaturity. Especially in those days, the agents were much more powerful and without the rookie salary cap there were legit ramifications for getting your client to the right situation. Billy got us Mitch and then made the surprising return to the kings later in his career. Never lived up to expectations (no jump shot) but I always kind of liked his game.

 

[dude12]

Kenny Smith is the weak link to the TNT show.

 

[Jc121]

Always rooting for our rookies but the one’s that show contempt after they leave never gave them much thought afterwards.

 

[Chupacabra]

My brother noticed this and asked me about it. He's the deal, to the best of my knowledge.

Kenny did not want to be drafted by Sacramento. He's a New York kid - big city guy. In 1987, the Kings passed up their hometown boy Kevin Johnson, and picked Kenny Smith. KJ was immediately taken next.

And it's hard to blame him. At the time - the Kings WERE an NBA dead end, especially if you were a good rookie trying to launch a career. They were horribly managed. So Kenny got out after a couple years here and reached his full potential in the NBA helping the Rockets win a couple championships.

And I think he's been bitter ever since.

Oh my goodness, wouldn't want anyone to face any kind of adversity on their way to earning millions of dollars to play professional sports.