The Los Angeles Lakers found themselves at the center of controversy following their recent matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, a game that should have been one of the most highly anticipated regular-season contests of the year. With Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs visiting Los Angeles, fans expected a marquee showdown featuring some of basketball’s biggest names.
Instead, what transpired left many disappointed, and one prominent voice in basketball media was absolutely furious.
Stephen A. Smith Rips the Lakers for Spoiling the Marquee Matchup
The Lakers took the court without three of their most important players, LeBron James, Luka Dončić, and Austin Reaves, creating a scenario that sparked immediate backlash about player availability, rest management, and respect for the paying customers who fill arenas expecting to see star talent.
The optics of the situation became a flashpoint for broader discussions about the NBA’s ongoing challenges with load management and star players sitting out marquee matchups.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith didn’t mince words on First Take when addressing the Lakers’ decision to have all three key players unavailable for the Spurs clash. The outspoken analyst delivered a scathing criticism of the franchise during his commentary on the situation.
“A star came into the building in Tinseltown, and none of the stars for the Los Angeles Lakers, purple and gold, were in uniform, ready to play,” Smith began, his frustration evident. “That is disgraceful.”
“If … LeBron James [is] off, make sure somebody else is playing. … Everybody? That’s disrespectful.”
—@stephenasmith on the Lakers sitting LeBron, Luka and Austin Reaves 😯 pic.twitter.com/pEVJFKYQ0O
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 11, 2026
Smith continued, emphasizing the impact on fans who paid good money to attend what was supposed to be a huge clash. “It was like damn, y’all, there is a paying customer and see this is the kind of stuff that makes people, particularly old schoolers and others who they ingratiate themselves with, resent the product,” he argued.
The veteran analyst pointed to the broader implications for the league’s image and the extra burden this places on media coverage. “This is what makes the league going crazy because you got to do all kinds of things from a creative or curating standpoint to come up with stuff just to make up for what shouldn’t be happening,” Smith explained. “You should show up to work.”
While Smith acknowledged that individual players may need rest for legitimate reasons, he took issue with the Lakers’ apparent lack of coordination in managing their roster. “Now, work it out. If you got LeBron James off, make sure somebody else is playing. If you got Austin Reeves off, make sure somebody else is playing, but then everybody? That is disrespectful.”
Smith’s central argument wasn’t that no player should ever rest; he understands the physical demands of an 82-game season and the importance of injury prevention. His frustration stemmed from all three players being unavailable at the same time for such a high-profile game.
In his view, the Lakers should have managed their roster better to ensure at least one of their stars was available to face Wembanyama and the Spurs.
For Lakers fans who paid premium prices to watch their team take on one of the league’s most exciting young stars in Wembanyama, the absence of James, Dončić, and Reaves represented a significant letdown. Smith’s passionate reaction captured the frustration many felt about a showcase game that lost much of its luster before tipoff.
The incident serves as another reminder of the ongoing debate about player availability and whether the NBA needs stricter policies governing when teams can rest multiple stars simultaneously for high-profile matchups.