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NBA on TNT” analyst Kenny “The Jet” Smith found himself in hot water during the 2024 NBA All-Star weekend for his controversial take on the 3-point contest between Stephen Curry and the WNBA’s Sabrina Ionescu.
During the first-of-its-kind event, in which Curry beat Ionescu 29-26, Smith repeatedly mentioned how the New York Liberty star should have shot from the WNBA 3-point line (22 feet, 1.75 inches) instead of the NBA 3-point line (23 feet, 9 inches), and that doing so would have given her better odds of defeating her male counterpart.
Smith’s on-air colleague, Reggie Miller, took exception to the comments, praising Ionescu, 26, for having the courage to shoot from the men’s line.
“Why are you putting those boundaries on her? She wanted to shoot from there,” Miller asked Smith during the TNT broadcast.
In response, Smith reiterated that it would have been “a fair contest” had Ionescu shot from the 3-point arc she was accustomed to. “There is a women’s tee in golf and there is a men’s tee for a reason,” he stressed during his heated argument with Miller.
People on social media called out Smith for his comments.
“Did Kenny Smith have to point that out while the NBA is clearly trying to promote & uplift women’s sports? No,” posted one person on X, formerly Twitter.
“Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller did their best to make the Stephen vs Sabrina showdown brutally awkward and ended it by arguing about playing with dolls for some reason,” Awful Announcing posted.
And Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid posted: “Kenny Smith been drinking lmao.”
Sabrina Ionescu Proved Doubters Wrong
Despite Smith’s controversial comments, it’s undeniable that Ionescu showed out during her showdown with Curry.
For starters, her score of 26 matched Damian Lillard’s winning tally in the regular 3-point contest on All-Star Saturday, which pit Lillard against the likes of Trae Young, Karl Anthony-Towns and Tyrese Haliburton. In other words, Ionescu could have outright won the men’s 3-point contest had she entered.
When the NBA first announced the Curry versus Ionescu 3-point challenge, the latter was slated to shoot from the WNBA line. However, she declared her intention to even the playing field.
“Personally, I shoot from [the men’s 3-point] range, to begin with, I practice from that range,” Ionescu said, via IndyStar. “Knowing that I had the opportunity to pick what line I wanted to shoot from, it was a no-brainer that I wanted to shoot from the NBA line and prove that we’re capable and we’re willing. It’s not something that took a lot of convincing and knowing I wanted to equal the playing field.”
Battle of the Sexes: Part Deux?
Almost immediately after her history-making performance against Curry, Ionescu suggested the possibility of teaming up with University of Iowa sharpshooter Caitlin Clark against Curry and a partner of his choosing during next year’s NBA All-Star festivities.
“Well we’ve been talking about finding different ways to change this up next year,” Ionescu told reporters, via NBC Sports. “I think he [Curry] has a partner in mind that’s going to join him. So I’m open to any partner that can help me win and take that belt that he has away from him.”
The idea of Curry and a partner versus Ionescu and Clark got Miller smiling from ear to ear. His choice for Curry’s partner? Dame Dolla himself.
“Let’s get the four best shooters on the planet,” Miller said on-air during the All-Star Game. “Let’s get Damian Lillard and Steph as a team versus Sabrina and possibly if she decides to come out [of college], Caitlin Clark, who’s another great sharpshooter. How about those two against Steph and Dame? I would love to see that.”
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