STEPHEN A SMITH Archives - Page 8 of 31

5 Times JJ Redick & Stephen A. Smith Threw Down On “First Take”

February 21, 2024 by newhiphopnews

JJ Redick always makes for entertaining viewing on First Take, namely because his sound basketball analysis is usually derailed by a shouting match with Stephen A. Smith. February 21 was no different, as the two got into a heated argument about the ignorance of NBA fans and Kevin Durant’s leadership. However, as we like hot sauce with its Scoville in the millions here at HotNewHipHop, what better better way to commemorate this latest chapter of their feud by looking at some of the highlights from their past?

JJ Schools Stephen A. & Mad Dog About Kawhi Leonard

This moment came during the 2023 NBA playoffs. After the Suns dumped the short-handed Clippers, Stephen A. argued that the team needed a hard reset and to jettison the injury-prone Kawhi Leonard and Paul George because they were cooked. This prompted a four-minute rant from JJ, spearheaded by the devastating remark “listening to each of you right now, it’s very obvious you have played zero high-level basketball and you do not understand the requirements of doing that.”

Furthermore, JJ was proven right less than a year later. The Clippers are absolutely balling behind a healthy Kawhi and PG3. At the time of writing, they are 36-17 and third in the Western Conference.

JJ Calls Stephen A. “Irresponsible” For Warriors Hype

Our next moment goes all the way back to November 2021, when Stephen A. was ready to riding a 9-1, Klay Thompson-less Warriors all the way to an NBA championship. The first thing out of JJ’s mouth in response? “It’s irresponsible.” Redick argued that perspective was needed because it was 10 games into the season and the Warriors had played the league’s eighth-easiest schedule. Smith didn’t explode at Redick like in some other examples of their beef but he definitely tried his best to “school the rookie”.

Come the NBA Finals and Stephen A. was proven right. Klay came back from injury smoothly and Golden State beat the Celtics 4-2 in the Finals. The only thing Smith didn’t land was James Wiseman, who would not return during the season and has never lived up to his second-overall pick billing.

JJ Crosses The Line When Taking College Shots At Stephen A.

You know a moment is heated when it ends with an on-air apology. This is perhaps the most infamous of their on-air beef. While discussing LeBron’s potential retirement in the 2023 offseason, JJ struck below the belt. After Stephen A. dismissed JJ’s take out of hand, JJ cut him off to throw some body blows. “You didn’t play, Stephen A., you didn’t play. You don’t understand the athletic mentality. Three games at South Dakota Winston-Salem State? Doesn’t count,” JJ remarked.

While Stephen A. brushed off the comments in the moment, this one clearly struck a nerve. Later in the show, Redick apologized, saying that Stephen A. had “got under his skin” but he didn’t mean to take things as he did and fully respected Stephen’s alma mater.

JJ Blasts Stephen A.’s “Nostalgic Standard”

This moment technically happened on Get Up! and not First Take but it’s still worth talking about. During the 2022 NBA Finals, Mike Greenburg was complaining that the modern game was softer than the play seen in the 80s and 90s. Stephen A. weighed in to agree, unsurprising given how much he hates the Rest Rule. However, JJ wasn’t having any of it. “This nostalgic standard that you’ve set for players to the 80s and 90s, and then comparing us to it all the time like we are a substandard to that, it gets annoying.”

This is one of the moments where Stephen A. dispensed with his standard “mhm, I’m listening” noises and just started yelling. The clip is nearly unwatchable as three grown men scream at each other, ironically, about grown men screaming (or not screaming) at each other.

Stephen A. Flunks Journalism 101

ST3p3n J0k!c pic.twitter.com/KSkTyG3M3s

— Diamond Dog (@DiamondDogzzz) June 8, 2023

Sometimes journalists make mistakes. It happens to everyone. But sometimes those mistakes happen on live TV. During the 2023 finals, Stephen A. made the baffling declaration that Nikola Jokic wasn’t known for his post play. A visibly confused JJ cuts him off to explain that over the last ten years, the most efficient half-court play in the entire NBA is a Jokic post up. Stephen A. proceeds to backpedal so cartoonishly that Bugs Bunny would be proud. Eventually, he manages to stammer out that he simply meant he sees Jokic more like Kevin McHale than Shaq.

As we said, everyone makes mistakes. But what you shouldn’t do around JJ Redick is make basic errors about play efficiency, especially when trying to disparage a player like Jokic.

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JJ Redick & Stephen A. Smith Clash Over NBA Fans & Kevin Durant

February 21, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Stephen A. Smith and JJ Redick once butted again butted heads on First Take as Redick lamented that NBA fans “don’t want to be educated.” “I can do a video on my podcast where I break down the last nine games the Pelicans have used Zion Williamson as the primary ballhandler… 54,000 views on YouTube. But I wanna call out a coach yesterday. Oh, that gets tens of millions of engagements. That’s the ecosystem we live in. So do fans actually want to be educated or not?” Redick ranted.

The argument stemmed from a debate about Kevin Durant voicing his frustrations that he didn’t get credit as a team leader. While Redick believed the lack of credit was warranted, Smith vehemently disagreed, The spearhead of First Take got more and more heated, especially after Redick went after Mad Dog for weighing in. “That is a Hall of Famer, JJ. That is a Hall of Famer for media who has been covering sports for 40+ years that you are sitting across from,” Smith fired back at Redick.

Austin Rivers Slams JJ Redick For Doc Rivers Criticism

JJ Redick questions why it’s the responsibility of NBA players to educate fans and questions how much fans actually want to be educated in the first place.

“I can do a video on my podcast where I break down the last nine games the Pelicans have used Zion Williamson as the… pic.twitter.com/3zJqUdZ3T1

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 21, 2024

Meanwhile, Austin Rivers joined Patrick Beverley in firing back at Redick for his recent comments about Doc Rivers. Rivers defended his father by taking aim at Redick’s playing history. “In terms of accountability, your best years in the NBA were when you played for him and the Clippers. It’s just very ironic and kinda weird that you have this energy towards him,” Rivers said on ESPN. He was referring to Redick’s 2013-17 stint on the Clippers under Doc.

The current debacle stems from Redick saying Doc had a “lack of accountability” after taking over the Bucks midseason. After their firing their first-year head coach despite a 33-13 record, the Bucks have now gone 3-7 to start Doc’s tenure. Despite this, Doc coached the Eastern Conference All-Star team due to the Bucks record. To his credit, Doc did call this out and said he would be giving his All-Star ring and bonus to the recently fired Adrian Griffin.

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Shannon Sharpe Obliterated After Saying Face Of NBA Must Be Married While Also Using Magic Johnson As An Example

February 20, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Shannon Sharpe has been a phenomenal addition to the First Take crew. Overall, he has delivered some great takes, and he has solid chemistry with Stephen A. Smith. Now that he is no longer with Skip Bayless, it feels like he has more freedom to be himself. Furthermore, he has been doing big things with Club Shay Shay. It feels as though Sharpe is now a huge star in the broadcasting world, and that goes beyond just sports. However, he still has some questionable takes from time to time.

For instance, today, the First Take crew found themselves speaking about who the next face of the NBA will be. Moreover, they were trying to determine how this player will be figured out. Well, Sharpe chimed in with an interesting theory. He believes the player needs to be in some sort of public-facing stable relationship. For instance, LeBron James had Savannah, while Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were also married. Unfortunately, this take did not go over well as Stephen A. and JJ Redick were left stunned.

Shannon Sharpe Tries To Get Off A Take

Shannon Sharpe questions whether being in a stable relationship is necessary to be considered the face of the NBA

“Magic and Bird was married. LeBron was in a relationship with Savannah.”

(h/t @awfulannouncing )

pic.twitter.com/DZnn6EZCgF

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 20, 2024

Subsequently, fans flooded Twitter with some reactions to what was being said. Overall, they could not believe that Magic Johnson would be mentioned here. After all, he is someone who cheated on his wife quite a bit while he played in the NBA. Although he and Cookie are still together, the infidelity definitely invalidates the point Shannon was trying to make here. Beyond that, the point was a bit far-fetched to begin with. No one is really thinking about the players and who they might be married to.

Fans React

Let us know what you think of Shannon Sharpe and his take, in the comments section down below. Do you agree with him? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sports world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite athletes. With the NBA playoffs approaching, we will have a ton to bring you.

Bro used Magic as an example of a perfect marriage

— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) February 20, 2024

This how u know ppl just be talking bro used magic Johnson as an example

pic.twitter.com/bdYMymJjYB

— Jamal Cristopher (@JamCristopher) February 20, 2024

Using Magic Johnson as an example https://t.co/yyReW4LIYe pic.twitter.com/V2eLFzOism

— Him Jones (@Dbands824) February 20, 2024

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Stephen A Smith Calls NBA All-Star Game A “Travesty” During Passionate Rant

February 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Stephen A Smith is easily one of the most passionate men in all of sports journalism. Overall, he has some pretty big hot takes, and he is not afraid to say when he feels like there is something bad going on in the sports world. Although some don’t appreciate his takes, there is no doubt that he has a lot of fans. Besides, he makes over $10 million over at ESPN, so he is clearly winning. Even despite the hate, Smith continues to do his thing, and it has been pretty fun to watch.

Over the weekend, we got to watch the NBA All-Star Weekend. Unfortunately, this year was one of the worst weekends ever. Although the three-point contest was cool, the dunk contest was awful. Furthermore, the game itself was a layup line as 397 points were scored. No defense was played, and guys were just chucking up threes the whole time. As you can imagine, Smith was outraged at what he saw, and called it out on First Take. He went so far as to say that the game was a complete “travesty.”

Stephen A Smith Wants Better

Overall, Smith is convinced that the game itself needs a massive overhaul. For instance, he wants the dunk contest to be filled with people from across the country who are all about exciting dunks. Moreover, he wants the players to actually try in the game. He feels like they play harder at the YMCA than they do in the All-Star Game, which is pretty accurate. Smith has a similar rant every year, but now, it is very clear that he is at his wits end with this one. It just so happens that every other NBA fan is too.

Let us know what you thought of the All-Star Game, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sports world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite athletes and their coming moves.

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Did Micah Parsons Hospitalize Stephen A. Smith? ESPN Host Speaks On All-Star Game Injury

February 16, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Stephen A. Smith has denied claims that he was hospitalized after getting crossed over by Micah Parsons ahead of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. “Molly Qerim is a pathological liar. That did not happen to me. Crossed over by a Cowboy? They had the practice last night. So I go there, cause I got to scout my team, cause I got to see I’ma play and who I’ma put on the bench, cause I’m not losing this game tonight, ok? And the next thing you know, that damn Micah Parsons is on the basketball court acting like he’s trying to sack quarterbacks and stuff, and pushing people around. So, after that, he and I were shooting around, shooting against one another. And it was some sweat on the floor and I literally bust my ass. I mean, feet flying in the everything, go BOW. You understand what I’m saying?” Smith said.

The rebuttal came after Qerim had opened First Take with a very different version of events. “This was not confirmed by Adrian Wojnarowski, but this is what I was told by Stephen A. If he wants to change the story when he gets here, that’s fine. But this is what I understand: Stephen A. Smith is one of the coaches in the Celebrity All-Star Game tonight, alongside our guy Shannon Sharpe, it’s gonna be epic TV. Yesterday, SA had to get out there, get out to Naptown early, and they had a practice. So, he started messing around with Micah Parsons, of all people, one of the guys on his team, obviously a Dallas Cowboy. Micah crossed him over and all I know is Stephen A’s at the hospital right now getting x-rays,” Qerim claimed.

Stephen A. Smith Believes LeBron James Should Have Taken Warriors Trade

Stephen A. Smith confirms he suffered an injury during Celebrity All-Star Game practice, but denies that a Dallas Cowboy could ever cross him up. https://t.co/xQ46xyPRYc pic.twitter.com/h4adajB3FH

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 16, 2024

Meanwhile, Smith questioned why LeBron James killed a potential deal that would have sent him to the Warriors at the trade deadline. Smith confirmed that the story first reported by his fellow ESPN colleagues was true but asked what it said about LeBron. “How happy is LeBron with the Lakers management?” Smith asked. However, he went on to say, “LeBron James. If there is one person on Earth you should want to play with, it’s Steph Curry.”

Per the original ESPN report, the efforts of the Warriors to acquire LeBron didn’t get past an initial phone call. Warriors owner Joe Lacob reached out directly to his Lakers counterpart Jeannie Buss. The deal was struck down by Buss and Rich Paul. LeBron’s agent. However, the Warriors were not the only team reportedly interested in LeBron. Earlier in the run-up to the deadline, the Sixers Daryl Morey reached out to Lakers GM Rob Pelinka. Morey wanted to enquire about LeBron’s availability after seeing his cryptic hourglass tweet. That conversation was quickly ended when Pelinka asked Morey whether Joel Embiid was available.

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Are Shannon Sharpe & Stephen A. Smith Living Up To Expectations

February 15, 2024 by newhiphopnews

ESPN appeared to swing the deal of 2023 when they added Shannon Sharpe to the rotating cast of analysts on First Take. It was a move made seemingly at the request of Stephen A. Smith following Sharpe’s departure from Undisputed. However, six months in, how are things looking for sports media’s newest power couple?

Smith & Sharpe Have Business Booming At ESPN

2023 was First Take‘s most successful year to date. Anchored by Smith and Molly Qerim along with their rotating cast of guests, the show averaged 496,000 viewers per episode and extended its year-on-year growth streak to 17 months. Viewership only seemed to get better later in the year, with Sharpe debuting in early September. Over 700,000 people were tuning in to Sharpe’s first week on the show. Furthermore, December 2023 was the show’s second most-watched month on record.

Additionally, when paired with a smooth transition for The Pat McAfee Show, which airs directly after First Take, ESPN has created an unstoppable four-hour programming block. Furthermore, the massive talent cuts ESPN seemingly undertook to acquire Sharpe were completely negated by a $2 billion gaming partnership late in the year. In terms of money and viewership, things are great at ESPN. However, there is a catch.

Does Stephen A. Respect Shannon Too Much On First Take?

The First Take era of ESPN has been defined by yelling. A lot of yelling. In fact, First Take would likely be a much less successful show if people weren’t yelling. However, the dynamic was always Stephen A. yelling at someone. Originally it was Skip Bayless. Then it was Max Kellerman. Now…Smith just sort of yells at everyone. He can’t yell at Qerim directly because that’s terrible optics. Nor can he yell at Mad Dog directly because that devolves into a screaming match. However, Smith also doesn’t want to yell at Sharpe because he literally pushed ESPN to sign the Hall of Famer and clearly respects him too much. Hell, one of Mad Dog’s viral rants in 2023 was about the bromance between Smith and Sharpe!

While the Smith-Sharpe pairing is clearly working, the show has fundamentally changed. Smith’s debates are now typically with lesser-known ESPN personalities, rather than his mainstay foil. However, this might just speak to an overall shift in Smith’s brand as “directionless yelling” is essentially the crux of his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show. Fans were hoping for all-out brawls between Smith and Sharpe but that just doesn’t happen. Smith has one voice for rants and another for Shannon Sharpe.

Can Shannon Sharpe Prevent A Divorce Between Stephen A. Smith & ESPN?

There is one other issue looming – Stephen A. Smith. Smith’s contract expires this year and he has made it very clear that he owes no loyalty to ESPN. Last December, Smith told Outkick’s Clay Travis that he wanted to be the broadcaster’s highest-paid talent and that he wanted $20 million in his new contract. That would be an $8 million raise from the $12M per year that he earns now. Furthermore, Smith told Travis that he has no qualms about leaving ESPN if they don’t meet his demands.

Smith likely wouldn’t net $20M a year if he went fully independent but he’d likely come pretty close. His podcast already gets free advertising on First Take despite not being an ESPN product. With sponsors and more freedom around his content and conduct, there is definitely an appeal to independent broadcasting for Smith. Additionally, it’s clear at this point that ESPN needs Smith more than Smith needs ESPN.

So where do things go from here? After investing heavily in Sharpe, they aren’t going to want to lose Smith. However, can ESPN justify Smith’s asking price? How is it going to look down the line if they lay off staff writers but still have Smith’s $20M salary on the books? And what is the ceiling for First Take? Just how many more viewers can they actually attract, especially when young people are less likely to buy an ESPN package?

Are you a fan of First Take‘s newest era? Do you wish that there was more drama? And where do you think the show goes from here? Let us know in the comments.

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Stephen A. Smith Believes LeBron James Should Have Taken Warriors Trade

February 14, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Stephen A. Smith questioned why LeBron James killed a potential deal that would have sent him to the Warriors at the trade deadline. Smith confirmed that the story first reported by his fellow ESPN colleagues was true but asked what it said about LeBron. “How happy is LeBron with the Lakers management?” Smith asked. However, he went on to say, “LeBron James. If there is one person on Earth you should want to play with, it’s Steph Curry”.

LeBron James Coy About Plans For Next Season

Meanwhile, following the trade deadline, LeBron had a very simple answer when asked if he had thought about what he was going to do with his player option year for next season – “No.” The veteran star gave the blunt answer following a Lakers shootaround ahead of their marquee clash against the Knicks. LeBron has a $51.4 million player option for the 2024/25 with a late-July opt-in deadline. That opt-in deadline comes a few days after the NBA Draft. As a result, many pundits believe LeBron will wait to see if and where his son Bronny is drafted.

However, the speculation and trade shutdown haven’t stopped people from making their trade pitches regardless. Smith caused a stir after using a segment on First Take to pitch a deadline trade between his Knicks and the Lakers to acquire LeBron James. Smith’s pitch was more based on the vibes of “LeBron at MSG” rather than how LeBron would actually make the Knicks a better team. Smith’s Knicks, who are playing without Julius Randle until after the All-Star break, are fourth in the East with a 33-21 record.

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Mo’Nique “Apologizes” To Oprah, Tyler Perry, And More During Katt Williams Tour

February 11, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Last week, Mo’Nique’s eagerly anticipated Club Shay Shay interview finally dropped, and as expected, the performer didn’t hold back. She went in on several of her celebrity peers, including Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, D.L. Hughley, and more. She even put the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry on blast, accusing them of having “blackballed” her from the industry.

According to her, she even allegedly has a recording of Perry admitting that he was responsible for starting a rumor that she was difficult to work with. As for Oprah, she says the mogul has “stolen” at least two film roles from her. Even before the interview was released, fans were drawing comparisons between Mo’Nique and Katt Williams, whose similarly explosive Club Shay Shay appearance went viral last month.

Connecticut Crowd Goes Wild For Mo’Nique

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Neighborhood Talk (@theneighborhoodtalk)

For this reason, they were overjoyed to learn that she’d be joining Williams on his Dark Matter tour alongside Torrei Hart and Mark Curry. At one point in her interview, Mo’Nique claimed that Williams was speaking facts during his, and even called him her “Fraternal Twin Brother” amid the tour announcement. So far, the tour has been a major success, and supporters are out in full force for Mo’Nique.

In one clip, she’s seen getting onstage in Connecticut on her first night of the tour, where she was met with a thunderous round of applause. Almost the entire audience stood to show love to Mo’Nique, leaving her in awe. During another set, she issued a pseudo-apology to those she called out, including Oprah, Tyler Perry, Stephen A. Smith, and Greg Mathis. “I wanna apologize for telling y’all to suck my d*ck,” she said. “Because I forgot to tell y’all to lick the nuts that came with it.”

Mo’Nique Doubles Down

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A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom)

What do you think of Mo’Nique “apologizing” for calling out her celebrity peers? What about her crowd in Connecticut giving her a standing ovation? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

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Stephen A. Smith Apologizes To Cam Newton

February 9, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Stephen A. Smith has apologized to Cam Newton for the role that First Take and The Stephen A. Smith Show played in the backlash Newton received over his opinions on Brock Purdy. “Whether we agree or disagree with your dissection of Brock Purdy, what that [debate] deteriorated into was whether you had the right to say that. And I just want to say on national TV…I want to apologize for that,” Smith told Newton.

Newton has been getting a lot of hate for saying that Brock Purdy was not a “game changer” but a “game manager”. It’s a point he even made prior to smith’s apology. Newton said he trusted Purdy on a game-winning Super Bowl drive because he trusted Purdy’s resources. However, many people questioned what “right” Newton, who hasn’t played since 2021, had to make that call given what he had achieved in his own career.

Shannon Sharpe Questions Whether Cam Newton Is Serious About Returning To The NFL

Meanwhile, Newton’s ambition of potentially returning to the NFL got a reality check in the form of Shannon Sharpe. Sharpe used an audience Q&A for the 4th And 1 podcast to reveal how he feels about Newton, who was joining him on the show, wanting to be back in the NFL. Shannon’s point boiled down to one key factor – is Newton ready to sacrifice everything to back into the NFL? “You gotta train like Auburn Cam, when you didn’t have a cent. That’s the level you gotta train at that level. And that’s something that only Cam can answer.”

Unfortunately, for Cam, it appeared that he was not prepared to make that level of sacrifice. Instead, Newton tried to argue that he was allowed to have preferences and conditions about his return. Furthermore, he tried to mount the argument that his willingness to compromise on his role and expectations was an adequate replacement for sacrifice.

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Stephen A. Smith And Lil Wayne To Coach Against Shannon Sharpe And 50 Cent In NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

February 7, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe will face off next week during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. The two ESPN personalities will serve as the team coaches while also boasting stacked benches of assistants. Smith will be joined by A’ja Wilson and Lil Wayne while Sharpe has added 50 Cent and Peyton Manning. However, their respective rosters are also equally loaded. Smith boasts the likes of Texans QB CJ Stroud, WNBA star Natasha Cloud, and R&B legend Jennifer Hudson. Meanwhile, Sharpe’s team includes Cowboys powerhouse Micah Parsons, WNBA star Jewell Lloyd, and streamer Kai Cenat.

The game will take place on a unique glass-covered LED court that is being installed especially for All-Star weekend. As well as the staples such as the Dunk Contest, there will also be a special three-point shooting challenge between Steph Curry and the WNBA’s Sabrina Ionescu. Who are you backing – Team Shannon or Team Stephen? Let us know in the comments.

Trae Young Snubbed For All-Star Game

However, one person who will not be attending the All-Star Game is the Hawks’ Trae Young. Trae Young is perhaps the most notable absence from this year’s NB All-Star Game. Despite finishing third in Eastern backcourt voting, Young was not named as one of the conference’s reserves. Young is averaging 27.3 points (8th) and 10.9 assists (2nd) this season. Perhaps it is because the Hawks are 22-28 in one of the league’s weaker divisions, but the snub has rung out across the league.

Fans in particular are irate over Young’s absence. “Also, definitely put me on team “Trae Young should be an all-star.” Not sure what happened there, but think his case is pretty clear in the East. Bizarre that we just take 27 points and 11 assists for granted,” wrote Sam Vecenie, senior NBA writer at The Athletic. Furthermore, many people pointed out that Young’s numbers are better than last year when he missed out on the All-Star Game. Most fans are taking Young over All-Star reserve Paolo Banchero (23/7/5). Do you think Young got robbed? Let us know in the comments.

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