Kenny Smith Wasn't Being Sexist About Sabrina Ionescu, He Was Just Being Real

Sabrina Ionescu faced off against Steph Curry in a three-point shooting exhibition during NBA All-Star Weekend. The idea for the event was perfect… but the execution was atrocious. 

Curry defeated Ionescu by a score of 29 to 26. It was a close competition, which made it all the more exciting. For me, I couldn't care less about the NBA. I rarely watch regular season games and barely even tune in during the playoffs. Personally, I prefer college basketball because of the environments and how the players actually, you know, try. 

I understand that basketball in the NBA – and the officiating – is of a much higher quality. That doesn't make it more entertaining. At least not to me. 

That being said, I do enjoy the three-point shooting competition during All-Star Weekend. You won't catch me watching the dunk contest or the actual All-Star game, but I find the three-point contest to be one of the best All-Star events in any sport – beneath only the Home Run Derby. 

When I heard that the NBA invited WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu to face off against the best shooter in modern NBA history, Steph Curry, I was very intrigued. 

(Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports)

So much so, that I decided to tune in late Saturday night to watch the two square off, despite just getting home from the airport. 

I thought the event itself was fantastic. Ionescu held her own against Curry and posted 26 points shooting from the NBA 3-point line. Curry beat her, no surprise, but only by three points. Had she competed in the NBA's actual three-point contest, she'd have reached the first-round tiebreaker. 

But, as is often the case, the NBA couldn't help but screw it up. 

Sabrina Ionescu-Steph Curry face-off was great in theory, but awful in practice

Following the competition, TNT broadcaster Kenny Smith made some legitimately interesting comments and pointed something out that I didn't realize going into the event. Ionescu used a WNBA basketball during her turn in the competition. That ball is smaller than the one the WNBA uses. 

Smith pointed that out and stated that she should also have shot from the WNBA three-point line to make the contest more fair. 

Immediately, co-host Reggie Miller – and many users on social media – took incredible umbrage with Smith's commentary. 

"She should have shot from the three-point line that the women shoot from," Smith said. 

"Why are you putting those boundaries on her," Miller responded. 

"It's not a boundary – that's what the game is," Smith retorted. 

Miller said that she wanted to shoot from the men's line. But, Smith reminded everyone that she used a WNBA basketball and not an NBA ball. 

"There's a women's tee in golf and a men's tee … for a reason," Smith added. 

"Don't let any man put boundaries on you like Kenny," Miller curiously commented. 

Miller later added – bizarrely – that Smith's comments meant that Smith thought she should be "playing with dolls" rather than shooting basketballs. 

Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller argue about Sabrina Ionescu 

I have quite a few thoughts about this incredibly strange interaction between two NBA on TNT commentators. 

First, Reggie Miller easily won the award for "biggest virtue-signal" of NBA All-Star Weekend. And, trust us when we say this: that's really difficult to do during an NBA event. 

(Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports)

The NBA loves to virtue-signal. They happily collect billions of dollars from China, keeping their mouths shut about human rights atrocities, while simultaneously bashing America's treatment of its "marginalized" people. 

"Don't let any man put boundaries on you" and "you want her just playing with dolls" was a classic example of Miller trying to make himself look like a hero. He even later added, "Women are just as good as men at basketball."

According to many on social media, mission accomplished. 

This is exactly why those like Reggie Miller resort to virtue-signaling – it works. People immediately stand up and applaud and don't even consider the opposing viewpoint. 

Many painted Smith as sexist, but his comments were absolutely in-bounds, pardon the pun. 

I have no problem with Ionescu shooting from the NBA three-point line, and to truly have a fair competition, that's what she should have done. However, she should have used an NBA basketball. Either shoot NBA threes with an NBA basketball, or shoot WNBA threes with a WNBA basketball. 

Giving her the women's ball from the men's line felt like some weird compromise. But, here's the dirty little secret: the NBA wanted you to THINK that Ionescu and Curry were competing on an even playing field. 

(Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports)

If they let her shoot from a different line, that would have been obvious. However, it's pretty hard to tell that she's using a smaller basketball from a TV screen. I didn't even realize that until Smith pointed it out. 

See, the NBA did their own virtue-signaling by presenting the competition the way that they did. 

"Look, WNBA players can compete with NBA players!" That was the message.

Except, they quietly allowed Ionescu to use a different basketball. That's why Miller had to immediately jump into damage control when Smith pointed this out. He played the role of an NBA PR rep. Job well done, again, Reggie Miller.  

I disagree with Smith's golf analogy, though. Women's tee boxes do exist, but women don't HAVE to play from them. They can play from the men's tees. Just like Ionescu chose to shoot from the NBA line. 

The difference is that female golfers don't then golf with a different ball. 

Ultimately, the Steph vs. Sabrina shootout played out exactly how one would expect it to. The NBA had a clear agenda that they wanted to execute. 

And, they failed. As usual.