Stephen A. Smith, Steve Kerr exchange verbal jabs after ESPN host shares doubts on Stephen Curry’s leadership

Stephen A. Smith and Steve Kerr are in a war of words.

The drama comes after Draymond Green struck Jusuf Nurkic in the face and was indefinitely suspended by the NBA.

In an episode of “First Take” this week, Smith asked where Stephen Curry’s leadership has been regarding Green.

“Where’s the leadership? Where’s he at? What kind of impact is he having?” Smith asked.

Smith also said that if a teammate of LeBron James had done the same as Green, his leadership would be questioned.

The Golden State Warriors’ head coach caught wind of the comments, calling them “sickening.”

“For anyone to question Steph Curry’s leadership, it’s actually kind of sickening. I saw some of that yesterday. It was disgusting,” Kerr said. “We’re talking about one of the finest human beings that I have ever been around. But that’s the climate that we live in.

“You’re going to question Steph Curry’s leadership? Really, we’re going to do that?’ Think about that. Think about that.”

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Smith responded that he was “disgusted” with Kerr, claiming the coach was “twisting” his words.

“Steve Kerr didn’t mention me by name. I’ll mention Steve Kerr by name. I’m disgusted with him,” said Smith. “No one is questioning Steph Curry as a leader. What we said was, ‘If that were LeBron James, we would have said, ‘Where are you?’

“We were asking Steph Curry, ‘Where are you on this?’ Because you’re such a great leader. Because you’re such a phenomenal leader. Because you’re the closest thing to perfection that I think most of us have ever seen as a professional athlete. We’re asking about the impact that you’ve seemingly been unable to have on a teammate who loves and reveres you, like Draymond Green. But Steve Kerr twisted it.”

Curry and Green have spent their entire careers with Golden State. Curry was drafted by them in 2009. Green was drafted three years later.

Green will be able to return to play when he completes criteria from the NBA and the team.