Kenny Smith Faces Criticism for Controversial Sabrina Ionescu Commentary Amid Stephen Curry Showdown

This year’s NBA All-Star Weekend showcased a unique and historic event – the first-ever 3-point showdown between an NBA and a WNBA player. Stephen Curry, the standout shooter for the Golden State Warriors and considered by many as the best shooter in NBA history, faced off against Sabrina Ionescu, a rising star with the New York Liberty. The competition was closely contested, with Curry narrowly defeating Ionescu by a score of 29-26. While the event was enjoyable, NBA TNT commentator Kenny Smith faced backlash from fans for suggesting that Ionescu should have taken shots from the WNBA 3-point line.

Sabrina Ionescu came remarkably close to outshooting Stephen Curry from the same distance, adding confusion to Kenny Smith’s comment. Despite the remark, the event was highly entertaining and could serve as a blueprint for a potential recurrence at future NBA All-Star Weekends.

Ionescu is rapidly ascending as one of the most promising players in the WNBA. During the WNBA All-Star Weekend, she not only showcased her shooting prowess against Curry but also set a record by achieving the highest score in a 3-point shooting contest in either the NBA or WNBA. With a score of 37, she only missed two shots.

In the previous season, she earned her second consecutive All-Star appearance while maintaining impressive statistics, averaging 17.0 points per game, 5.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.0 steals. Her shooting percentages were noteworthy, with splits of 42.3 percent from the field, 44.8 percent from beyond the three-point line, and 87.2 percent from the free-throw line. Ionescu holds a career average of 37.7 percent shooting from three-point range.