Stephen A. Smith Reveals Who Faces The Most Pressure To Win An NBA Title This Year

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The Apollo Presents In Conversation: Fat Joe
Stephen A. Smith backstage during "In Conversation with Fat Joe" at The Apollo Theater on November 15, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Shahar Azran/Getty Images)
The latest Stephen A. Smith Top 5 list might be a bit divisive.

Stephen A. Smith is certainly one of the best personalities over at ESPN. In fact, one could make the argument that he is the best personality in all of sports media. Overall, he is known for his work on First Take. However, at this point, he should be credited with keeping ESPN afloat. He is a guest on practically all of their programs, and that will not change for a long time. After all, they are paying the man close to $10 million per year, which is a very large chunk of change.

When it comes to Smith, his expertise is definitely in the world of the NBA. Now that the NFL is done for the season, Smith has more opportunities to talk about basketball. On today's episode of First Take, that is exactly what he did with JJ Redick and Chris Russo by his side. With All-Star done, the conversation has subsequently shifted to which team is going to win the title. Consequently, this has also led to some discourse about who is facing the most pressure. In order to make it simple, Smith created a list.

Stephen A. Concocts A New List

This top five list was based on who is facing the most pressure to come through and win an NBA title. Number five on the list was Kawhi Leonard, while number four was Nikola Jokic. Additionally, Jayson Tatum was at three, James Harden was at two, and number one was Chris Paul. Redick thought this was the perfect list for numerous reasons. Overall, Paul needs a title for his legacy, as does Harden. Moreover, Jayson Tatum needs to exercise the demons from last season's NBA Finals. As for Jokic and Kawhi, well, one needs to live up to his MVP self, while the other hasn't done much in Los Angeles.

Chris "Mad Dog" Russo was not a huge fan of the list, claiming Kevin Durant needed to be at the top. However, as Smith pointed out, Durant has won two Finals MVPs and two rings. With that in mind, there isn't really much pressure on him at all. Let us know what you think of Smith's take, in the comments below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the basketball world.

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About The Author
Alexander Cole
Alexander Cole is the current Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. During this time, he has shown an expertise in Air Jordans, Yeezys, and all things that have to do with Nike. His favorite kicks are the Air Jordan 1 High OG, the Air Jordan 4, the Air Jordan 6, and the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 in the "Beluga 2.0" colorway. Although his collection might not be the biggest, he is always looking to add new styles to it. When it comes to sports, Alex has a particular interest in the NBA and the NFL. His favorite teams are anywhere LeBron goes, and the Kansas City Chiefs. As a Montrealer, the Montreal Canadiens hold a special place in his heart, even if they haven't won the Stanley Cup in his lifetime. Alex also works for the Concordia Stingers, where he provides play-by-play and color commentary for the football, hockey, and basketball teams His favorite hip-hop artists are Kendrick Lamar, Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, and Lil Uzi Vert.
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