Video taking off 13x its usual first day

Kawhi Leonard's knee update brings a sharp First Take response

Stephen A. Smith questions Leonard's availability while explicitly acknowledging his injuries are legitimate.

Channel:

NBA on ESPN Story of October 28, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 651,332 views a day, 12 times a normal first day on this channel (52,018).

Breaking: Kawhi Leonard OUT for a period of weeks 🗣️ 'THE WORST SUPERSTAR IN SPORTS!' | First Take

Things we can learn from the video

Press to jump

0:01Charania reports Leonard will miss several weeks with knee swelling; the bulletin says an MRI found no structural damage.
0:46Smith explicitly acknowledges Leonard's injuries are legitimate while criticizing his availability.
3:10Smith predicts Leonard will miss at least 25 games, going beyond the reported weeks-long timetable.
3:19Cornette notes Toronto is scheduled to play the Clippers on November 2.
4:14Smith argues Leonard does too little to promote basketball or his team.

Shae Cornette delivers the medical update before Stephen A. Smith delivers his verdict. Kawhi Leonard is expected to miss several weeks with swelling in his left knee, according to Shams Charania's report presented on First Take. The on-screen bulletin also says an MRI showed no structural damage.

Smith's response turns the news into an argument about what teams should expect from a superstar. He criticizes Leonard's availability and contribution beyond the court, but makes an important distinction early: "Of course his injuries are legit, I'm not questioning that."

The excerpt on NBA on ESPN reached roughly 434,000 views in 11 hours, already well beyond the channel's usual full-day audience for regular videos. Its comment section was also far busier than a typical first day.

Smith predicts a longer absence than the reported weeks-long timetable, but that is his forecast, not an additional medical update. Cornette supplies a concrete date on the schedule: Toronto is due to face the Los Angeles Clippers on November 2.

The Leonard segment isn't the only First Take discussion drawing an unusually large audience on the channel. Another fast-starting excerpt pairs Smith with Chiney Ogwumike to address Bam Adebayo's criticism of the media after Miami's winless start. In the Leonard clip, though, Cornette's brief injury bulletin gives way almost immediately to Smith's extended criticism of a superstar's responsibilities.

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