The Big Lead

Stephen A. Smith slams Daryl Morey for Lakers’ bubble NBA championship comments

Daryl Morey suggested that the Los Angeles Lakers' 2020 NBA championship's potential asterisk and Stephen A. Smith has taken issue with it.

By Divij Kulkarni

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith on the ESPN First Take set.
ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith on the ESPN First Take set. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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One of the more popular topics of online NBA discourse over the last few years has been the 2020 NBA championship. The Los Angeles Lakers claimed the title in the Covid-19-influenced 'Orlando Bubble' in front of zero fans and with all the players having no contact with the outside world.

Some fans and media members have suggested that the championship isn't legitimate because of those reasons. Philadelphia 76ers GM Daryl Morey recently spoke about it, acknowledging the supported asterisk, while making vague comments about it. Stephen A. Smith isn't having it.

RELATED: 76ers GM Daryl Morey shades LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers for NBA 'bubble' title

"I think Daryl Morey was out of pocket for saying that, but most importantly, look at what he prefaced his comments with,” Smith said on First Take. “You were with the Rockets for 13 years and didn't win a title, and didn't get to the Finals.

"Under his stewardship, Philadelphia has been nothing to brag about; Houston never got it done. Why would you even give a quote like that about championships? Respectfully, Daryl Morey, it is something critics would argue you've been allergic to.”

Those are harsh words from Stephen A. Smith, but true. During his combined tenure with the Houston Rockets and the Sixers, Morey's never built a team that even made it to the NBA Finals. The Bubble ring might have a few people trying to talk smack about it, but a championship is a championship.

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