MMarcus Smart got ejected for punching a guy in the face, and Steph Curry called out three former players over his wife's movie scene. That's one wild NBA night.
LSmart didn't just get ejected — the league suspended him three games for that punch on Charles Bassey. Three games!
MAnd honestly? Deserved. You can't throw a punch at a guy's face and expect a slap on the wrist.
LI'm not defending the punch, but Smart plays with an edge. That's what makes him valuable. Sometimes that edge crosses the line.
MCrosses the line? He punched a guy in the face! That's not edge, that's a suspension waiting to happen.
LAnd Bassey was shoving him all game. You want your guy to just take it? Smart's not built that way.
MThere's a difference between standing up for yourself and throwing a punch. One gets you a tech, the other gets you three games.
LFine, the punch was dumb. But the Rockets need his defense. Losing him for three games hurts them more than the punch hurt Bassey.
MAnd then there's Steph. He posted a video calling out Gilbert Arenas, Nick Young, and Emmanuel Acho over their criticism of Ayesha's kissing scene in that movie.
LSteph Curry, the nicest guy in the league, finally had enough. You know it's bad when he's making a video about it.
MThe criticism was ridiculous. It's a movie scene. Ayesha's an actress. What's the problem?
LThe problem is those guys made it about Steph's marriage. Like she can't do her job without it being a story.
MAnd Steph left that same game in the first quarter with abdominal soreness. Didn't return.
LThat's the bigger story for Warriors fans. If Steph's out for any length of time, Golden State's in trouble.
MThey've got no margin. The West is loaded. You lose Steph for two weeks, you're fighting for a play-in spot.
LBut back to the video — Steph calling out Arenas and Nick Young? Those are his guys. That's a real friendship thing.
MArenas has been running his mouth for years. Steph finally said enough. Good for him.
LI just hope the injury isn't serious. Because a healthy Steph is the only thing keeping that team relevant.
MSpeaking of legends, someone posted a list of 25 iconic NBA jerseys ordered by starting year. Bill Russell, Wilt, Kareem, Dr. J.
LA list like that is just engagement bait. Everyone's going to argue about who's missing.
MBut the years look about right. Russell in Boston in the late '50s through the '60s. Wilt with the Philadelphia Warriors around the late '50s into the early '60s.
LKareem in Milwaukee in the late '60s into the '70s. Dr. J in Philly in the late '70s into the '80s. Those eras sound about right.
MThe problem with these lists is they always leave out someone. Where's Magic? Where's Bird?
LIt's ordered by starting year, so Magic and Bird would be later. But still, 25 jerseys is too few for NBA history.
MAnd then there's the rivalry post. Lakers vs. Celtics, Jordan vs. Isiah, Kobe vs. Shaq. Classic stuff.
LThat's just a fan account trying to get engagement. No real take, just nostalgia.
MBut rivalries are what make the league fun. You need that heat. You need guys who genuinely don't like each other.
LThe modern era has some good ones too. But nothing touches Lakers-Celtics in the eighties. That was war.
MAnd a prediction account is hyping a five-game Wednesday slate. Cavs-Knicks, Mitchell vs. Brunson. That's a real matchup.
LI don't care about prediction accounts. They're just trying to sell you something. But Cavs-Knicks is a good game.
MMitchell and Brunson going at it? That's two of the best guards in the East. That's must-watch.
LAnd over on Bluesky, NBA Stat posted about a wild photo from Wally Skalij, the longtime LA Times photographer. Courtside in LA.
MSkalij has shot everything. If he says it's wild, it's wild. That guy's been courtside for decades.
LThe photo's going to make the rounds for years, they say. I want to see it.
MAnd a Bluesky user named Fourth of Angus said, 'I remember Mo Cheeks playing in the NBA!'
LMo Cheeks! That's a deep cut. Great point guard, underrated.
MMo Cheeks was a floor general. Didn't need to score to control the game.
LAnd then there's a post from Missing The Point: 'Me watching the Duffy press conference.'
MThat's Sean Duffy, the Transportation Secretary. Not exactly sports, but the joke's about watching a press conference.
LI'll pass on that one. Give me the NBA drama any day.
MThe Smart suspension is the real story. Three games for a punch. The league sent a message.
LAnd the message is: keep your hands to yourself. The league came down hard on it.
MBut you know what? I'd rather have a guy who cares too much than a guy who doesn't care at all.
LThere's caring, and there's costing your team three games. That's the line.
MAnd Steph's video? That's a guy defending his family. I respect that more than any stat line.
LSteph's always been about family. The fact that he felt the need to post a video tells you how out of line those comments were.
MArenas, Nick Young, Acho — they all had their say. Steph had the last word.
LAnd the Warriors need him healthy. That abdominal thing could linger.
MIf he misses time, that's a real problem. The West is a bloodbath.
LNo doubt. But for now, the story is Smart's suspension and Steph's video. Two very different kinds of heat.
MOne guy lost his cool, the other guy stood up for his wife. That's the NBA in a nutshell.