Stephen A. Smith has harsh words for Daryl Morey after his comments about Lakers' 2020 title: "Didn't get to the Finals"

Stephen A. Smith came to the defense of LeBron James and Co. after Philadelphia 76ers executive Daryl Morey said that the Lakers’ 2020 championship will always have an “asterisk” attached to it.

Fans on social media quickly pushed back against his comments, calling him out for his team’s lack of success in the playoffs. Speaking on ESPN this Wednesday, Stephen A. Smith didn’t hold back, delivering some harsh words for Morey.

Smith began by putting into perspective how significant the 2020 championship was for the LA Lakers.

"It's legitimate when you consider the times that we were living in," Smith said. "There were people who didn't wanna be in the bubble, that is true. But, the folks that stayed there, that challenged for the championship, that provided us all with such a reprieve from a pandemic."

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He continued and came at Morey for making such a comment when he had yet to win a championship himself.

"Had we won a title in Houston, stop right there. You were there (the Rockets) for 13 years and didn't win a title... didn't get to the finals." Smith continued. "Philadelphia has been nothing to brag about, Houston never got it done. So, why would you even give a quote like that about championships when, respectfully, Mr. Morey, it is something critics would argue you've been allergic to."

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Daryl Morey has reached the playoffs in 14 out of 18 seasons in the NBA

Since joining the Boston Celtics in 2002, Daryl Morey has spent 18 seasons in NBA front offices, making 14 playoff appearances over that stretch. Despite his lengthy tenure, he has never managed to reach the NBA Finals.

The furthest any of his teams has gotten is Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, reached by the Houston Rockets during the 2018 NBA playoffs. His teams’ lack of success in the playoffs has been the focal point of criticism targeting Morey this week.

Daryl Morey clarified his comments while speaking to ClutchPoints on Wednesday.

“I'm frustrated,” Morey said. “Of course, I respect that title. I defend it to people all the time. It's the thing I want the most.”

Although Morey offered clarification, it has done little to change public reaction.

Edited by John Maxwell