Inside the NBA invaded Today recently when hosts Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal sat down to discuss their friend Kobe Bryant. The death of the basketball icon hasn't been removed from headlines since news broke on January 26 that Kobe, his daughter Gianna, and seven of their friends all perished in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif.
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The last two weeks have been filled with people remembering Kobe with kind words and condolences, but controversy kicks up dust whenever anyone mentions the 2003 scandal where the basketball star was accused of rape by a 19-year-old hotel employee. The case never went to trial because the woman refused to testify, but she did file a civil lawsuit that was settled privately. Bryant also had to issue a public apology where he stated he truly believed their sexual encounter was consensual, but he recognized that she didn't.
Recently, Gayle King caught international heat after a clip of her interview with Lisa Leslie went viral. King probed Leslie about her opinion on Kobe's accusations, causing many to drag her on social media. The Inside the NBA hosts were asked if they believed, as journalists, it was inappropriate for King to raise those questions so soon after his death. Kenny Smith spoke at length about Kobe's influence and how we're all "imperfect people," but it was Charles Barkley's remarks that stirred up controversy.
"Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest basketball players, ever, and he had a flaw that we all know about," Barkley said. “You have to tell the picture in totality. We’re not trying to make Kobe out to be no hero. We’re celebrating his basketball excellence. We understand what happened in Colorado. That’s fair, but two things can be true.”
People accused Barkley of betraying his friend to satisfy the media. Others wondered if Barkley would receive the same level of backlash as King. Watch the clip and check out a few reactions below.
Kenny Smith Calls Gayle King’s Kobe Bryant Question "Insensitive"
Kenny Smith chimes in.
NBA analyst and former ballplayer Kenny Smith has revealed his own thoughts on Gayle King's controversial question about Kobe Bryant during a recent interview with WNBA star Lisa Leslie.
To recap, it was in a sit-down last week with Leslie that King brought up the late Bryant, who passed away in a helicopter crash along with eight others, including 13-year-old Gianna Bryant. King proceeded to bring up Bryant's 2003 rape case, asking Leslie if she believed that it left a negative impact on Bryant's legacy. Leslie's response was along the lines of believing that "the media should be more respectful at this time."
"If you had questions about it, you’ve had many years to ask him that," Leslie told King, elaborating on the fact that Bryant's case was dismissed. "I don’t think it’s something that we should keep hanging over his legacy. I mean, it went to trial."
Since then, King has caught the ire of the many, even reportedly receiving death threats over her comments. TMZ most recently caught up with Kenny Smith and asked his opinion on the situation as he confirmed that death threats were out of line, but concluded that the question was inappropriate considering the timing.
"Death threats are a little extreme—a lot extreme. But it's unfortunate that during this time of grieving, I think the timing of the interview totally was off," Smith told the outlet. "With everyone still grieving, and so to have an interview that was led in that direction, I think the timing was insensitive."
He added: "I thought Lisa did a great job of answering the questions. She could only talk about what she knew and what she felt he was to her, and what she saw."
Without endorsing King's termination, as many have, Smith did add that he believes that "you have to be accountable for your actions."
Stephen A. Smith Reveals Who Should Be The Next Knicks President
Smith also has an idea of who should be their next head coach.
New York Knicks fans around the world were jumping for joy yesterday when it was revealed that president Steve Mills was fired from his post. For years, decades even, Knicks fans have been lamenting about how bad their front office is. While much of this has to do with owner James Dolan, many were happy to see Mills get his walking papers. In light of this firing, the Knicks will now have to get themselves a new president and rumors are already starting to swirl.
Today, the always entertaining Stephen A. Smith went on First Take and made a bold suggestion in regards to who the Knicks should hire. Smith seems to think Inside The NBA analyst Kenny Smith should get the job since he is a sound basketball mind who is also from New York. Smith also went on to say the Knicks should hire Mark Jackson as head coach.
Kenny Smith is a great analyst who knows quite a bit about what it takes for a team to be successful. As someone who has critiqued the Knicks for years, Smith would certainly make his presence felt around the Knicks front office. As for Jackson, he would be a huge upgrade and we're sure the players would respect him. Having said that, the Knicks aren't known for their great decision making so we'll see how hard they fumble the bag here.
Stay tuned for more NBA news as the trade deadline takes place tomorrow.
