Kenny Smith defends 'dolls' statement on Sabrina Ionescu citing his daughters: "Most people just don't wanna check the tape

Kenny Smith unexpectedly grabbed headlines during the exciting 3-point shootout between Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu on Saturday. Smith questioned Ionescu’s decision to shoot farther from what she’s accustomed to in the WNBA, which is 1.5 feet shorter compared to the NBA.

The former Houston Rockets great noted that, as she was using a WNBA ball, she might as well shoot from her usual range. Reggie Miller, a former NBA player like Smith, gave his TNT co-host a ribbing for his comments.

Miller wondered why Ionescu would have to shoot from WNBA distance when she was happy to do it from the NBA’s 3-point line. The Indiana Pacers legend added that Smith might as well just ask her to only play with dolls.

Kenny Smith has gotten a ton of flak for her comments. He appeared on the Stephen A. Smith Show to clarify what he said (24:30 mark)

“I think when Reggie was joking around about, ‘Oh, she can play with dolls.’ It was common knowledge that when she (Ionescu) was younger, someone said that she should just play with dolls and stuff. I have daughters. My thought when I first heard that was, ‘What’s wrong with that?' You should play with dolls, and you can do sports.

“Most people just don’t check the tape. They want to just check the bait. My history and track record speaks for itself.”

Kenny Smith precluded his “doll” clarification by saying that Sabrina Ionescu had given Steph Curry a slight advantage by shooting from the NBA line.

He explained that shooting is all about “muscle memory,” and that it has nothing to do with “gender” or “genetics.” For him, the contest would have been level had she chosen to shoot from where she's accustomed to in the WNBA.

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Kenny Smith likened Sabrina Ionescu’s situation to a college player shooting from the NBA 3-point line

Kenny Smith told Stephen A. Smith that his comments were from a basketball perspective coming from a shooter.

He further explained why his analysis during the Sabrina Ionescu versus Steph Curry matchup had nothing to do with genetics and gender (25:50):

“I know exactly what I said, and I know why I said it. If there was a college guy, who was the greatest college shooter this year, it would have been a slight edge (to Curry)."

Sabrina Iosnescu nearly overcame the slight disadvantage that Kenny Smith explained.

She had 26 points, which would have been enough to enter the final round of the regular 3-point shootout held among NBA players. Only Steph Curry’s clutch performance allowed him to escape with a 29-26 win.

With Ionescu’s performance, WNBA players who may be asked to join the competition will likely have to shoot from the NBA 3-point line. Smith and analysts will stay off the comments about where they should shoot, regardless of the result.