Josh Smith: Clippers Newly Signed Free Agent Is Getting Ripped On The Internet For Something He Didn’t Say

Josh Smith signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers on July 16. At the time of the signing, the terms of the deal were not disclosed. Between the signing and the Clippers press conference on July 21, it was learned that Smith will be making $6.9 million this year. The deal was only for a year.

All of this is important because, this week, Smith has been ripped for making what a lot of people claim to be a statement about not making enough money. They quoted him as saying that this $6.9 million was going to be “harder on me this year.” That could be enough to make anyone’s blood boil, and boil it did.

Bleacher Report took this line in their article, and quite a few fans commented on how terrible Josh Smith’s comments were.

“They might have to sell one of their private jets.”

“Their $50’s don’t fit in their wallets.”

“Doesn’t matter where he is next year. The annual median household income in the U.S. Is $50,500. That means for a family who works from age 18-65 they will only earn in their lifetime 1/3 of what he is making in one year. Smith is an idiot and I hope he ends up broke and bankrupt for making such a ridiculous statement.”

If you do not listen to the actual press conference and take the article at face value, it is enough to make any person angry. It makes Josh Smith look like a spoiled brat. However, the question asked of Smith comes at the 14:00 mark. Have a listen, and see what you think he is saying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pewDcppf9lY

It is pretty plain that this wasn’t about the money. In fact, he said just that.

“It wasn’t about the money because of the Detroit situation. But at the end of the day, you know, I do have a family. So, it is going to be a little harder on me this year. But I’m going to push through it and try to do something long-term after this year. But I think, this year, focusing on doing something special with this group of guys – we have the opportunity to do something special. Right now, this is what I want to focus on.”

Josh Smith was talking about a long-term deal. He will turn 30 this year. He is a veteran looking for a place to end his career. This coupled with the fact that a lot of times a family will not up and move for just a one-year deal would certainly put an extra burden on any player. Many fans have pointed all of this out at SB Nation’s Clippers Nation Fan Page.

There have been cases of players living in a different reality than those in the real world. However, in Josh Smith’s case, he is unfairly being criticized for something he didn’t say. This seems to be the case of some writers trying to create controversy that just isn’t there.

[Photo by NBA.com]