Stephen A. Smith Shows Double Standard In Coverage Of 70-Point Performances Of Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid

Last Monday, Joel Embiid scored 70 points against the Spurs. On Friday, Luka Doncic scored 73 points against the Hawks.

Embiid's point total impressed ESPN host Stephen A. Smith.

"'He's sending a message," said Smith of Embiid. "This brother is phenomenal. He is arguably the best big man in the game He sent the message that he was going for the championship."

Smith found Luka's point total "disgraceful."

“Let's not go overboard with . The fans want this? No, the league wanted it,” Smith said on ESPN.

“Did you see that? I mean, that was a layup line. That was the Atlanta Hawks. No wonder why y'all stink. Did you see how they played defense last night? I mean, this is not Joel Embiid who played bully ball because you know what, you have a thin Victor Wembanyama on you. We understand that; we expect that.”

“What transpired last night in Atlanta was disgraceful."

Got that?

According to Stephen A, Embiid scored 70 because he's dominant. And it was a great night for the NBA.

According to Stephen A. days later, Luka scored 73 because the Hawks let him. And it was a dark night for the NBA.

NBA viewers were quick to note the double standard that led to Smith discrediting Luka for the best statistical performance of the season.

Several users chalked up Smith's disparate coverage of the two performances to a racial bias. Here are some of the notable responses:

Accusations that race played a role in Smith's response to Luka's career night are not -- completely -- out of nowhere. There's a trend.

There's a growing resentment of the success of white European players in the NBA.

Kendrick Perkins' entire tirade against Nikola Jokic last year was rooted in the idea that white players are taking away MVP opportunities from black players.

ESPN analyst Domonique Foxworth dismissed Jokic's success as good only for a white player.

So did ESPN writer William C. Rhoden, who wildy penned an article debasing Jokic as part of the "Great White Hope,"

Rhoden's racial animus toward Jokic is evident:

In December, former NBA player Gilbert Arenas joked about Draymond Green assaulting Jusuf Nurkic, a white player, on the court.

"Taking care of these Europeans one at a time," said Arenas. "Do your thing. Euros taking our league from our people," Arenas said in a more serious tone.

Listen to the words he utters: our league.

The NBA has long been a majority-black league. A white player has not seriously vied for the top position since Larry Bird in the 1980s.

Now, there are two.

The rise of Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic has some black players and members of the media territorial about white people infringing on their league.

That's obvious. Some have admitted it. Others have shown it.

In 2020, Montrezl Harrell called Luka Doncic a "bitch ass white boy" on the court, to his face.

Doncic responded -- on the court:

Former college basketball player and Fox Sports Radio host Doug Gottlieb contextualized last year that "most black dudes (and a lot of white guys) think white guys can’t hoop & need special treatment in order to be viewed on the same level."

And that is where the racial bias in Smith's coverage of Luka Doncic comes into play.

Stephen A. appeared to argue that the only way Luka could dominate is for the black players to not give their full effort, as he accused the Hawks of last week.

His argument is, of course, off base. The Hawks' effort was not the concern. The team's 21st-ranked defense was.

But the same could and should be said about Embiid's 70-point outing. The Spurs rank 27th in defense.

Both star player took advantage of poor defensive units.

Now, there's a case that with the points-inflation of the NBA that Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid scoring 70 or more ought to be adjusted for historical context.

Scoring 70 points in 2024 is not as impressive as scoring 70 points in 2004 or 1994. However, that applies to both Doncic and Embiid.

Not just Doncic.