The Stephen A. Smith Show Stephen A's Take: SGA joins elite company as MVP | Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles injury was heartbreaking.
Jun 24, 2025
20:19
Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.
🏆 NBA Finals Recap
- Champions: Oklahoma City Thunder win the 2024–2025 NBA Championship in Game 7 over the Indiana Pacers.
- MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA)
- 29 points, 12 assists, 1 turnover in Game 7
- Joins elite company as MVP, scoring champ, and NBA champion in the same season
- Thunder’s Core:
- Jalen Williams (J-Dub), Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein
- Deep bench with Wiggins and Wallace
- Second-youngest championship team in NBA history
💔 Tyrese Haliburton Injury
- Suffered an Achilles injury in Game 7
- Was off to a hot start before going down
- Emotional moment as he greeted teammates on crutches post-game
- His absence shifted the momentum of the game and series
🏀 Indiana Pacers’ Future
- Despite the loss, the Pacers showed promise:
- Bennedict Mathurin, Myles Turner, and others showed flashes
- TJ McConnell praised for his gritty performance—nearly MVP-worthy if Pacers had won
- Haliburton’s injury likely sidelines him for the 2025–2026 season
🚑 Injury Crisis in the NBA
- Major stars out for next season:
- Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles)
- Jayson Tatum (Achilles)
- Damian Lillard (Achilles)
- Kyrie Irving (ACL)
- Raises concerns about the toll of modern pace-of-play on players’ bodies
- JJ Redick’s comments on modern wear-and-tear vs. old-school physicality are echoed
🔁 Blockbuster Trade: Kevin Durant to Houston Rockets
- Trade Details:
- KD to Houston
- Phoenix receives: Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, 2025 #10 pick, five second-round picks
- Houston’s New Core:
- KD joins Fred VanVleet, Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr.
- Rockets now seen as legit contenders in the West
🔥 Phoenix Suns Fallout
- KD’s age (36) and contract limited trade return
- Suns now focused on offloading Bradley Beal, who has a no-trade clause
- Beal’s value has plummeted—team may pay him to stay home
🧠 Stephen A’s Takeaways
- OKC is the team to beat, but Houston is coming
- KD still elite: 27 PPG, 50/39/88 shooting splits
- Miami Heat missed a huge opportunity by not pursuing KD harder
- Pat Riley may need to step back and let Erik Spoelstra take over full control
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