Over the years, Kenny Smith’s knee issues have been prevalent on live TV. Thanks to Inside the NBA, who don’t miss a beat to rub salt on the 2x NBA champion’s issue. In fact, the Rockets legend also chimes in with a joke or two on his knees, being fully aware of the awful situation back when he was in high school. Despite dodgy knees, The Jet often takes part in one of famous segments on the show, and this time he found a way to protect himself.
During the recent broadcast of Inside the NBA, the 60-year-old did participate in the popular ‘race toward the board’. In this segment, he has lost countless times to co-analyst Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and even the host, Ernie Johnson. Sometimes the losses are twice on one show. And the theme continued when he lost to Chuck, as he spoke about the Celtics-Knicks matchup. So during another board segment, Kenny Smith decided to change his strategy.
“A Deck of cards with no Joker,” the Queen’s native said this and ran to the board when Barkley noticed something different. “Oh, I got you taking your shoes off.” Smith explained he was running barefoot to avoid slipping and sliding. “I was like, I’m not sliding on this one. I wasn’t sliding.” After his loss to Chuck earlier in the day, the Rockets legend decided to run with a better grip. After the segment, The Jet Jogged back to his position and mimicked his viral running style.
Kenny went to the board barefoot this time so he wouldn’t slip pic.twitter.com/lghsghMc6r
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 6, 2025
But behind this laughter is an age-old pain. When Kenny Smith was in 11th grade in 1981, he suffered the injury with no physical contact. In his memoir, “Talk of Champions: Stories of the People Who Made Me,” the 2x NBA champion detailed the story. Racing to the Main Street subway station after school, Smith and his two friends heard the train pull into the station, so they hurried and slit into the train before the doors closed. Trying to catch their breath after the thrilling race, they collapsed into the seats, and that’s when they heard a terrifying pop and crackle.
Kenny Smith’s father’s sound advice helped him get back on his feet
“It sounded like I’d sat on a bag of potato chips. My first thought was to look behind me to see if there was indeed something on the seat, so I tried to stand. I couldn’t. My knee had gone extremely wrong.” After the results, there was a shocking revelation to the Smith family as Kenny broke his growth plate, and it was dislodged inside the joint of his knee. The only solution to this problem was surgery.
All he could think at the time was that his dream to play basketball was crushed. But his father provided an analogy to make him feel better. “This injury can stop you and you can become a lamb,” he continued, “Or you may put in a lot of effort to become a tiger.” It was enough to light a fire inside the Jet, who was determined to overcome the chances against him, and started hard therapy sessions with his father and brother Vince.
With the support of the family and his determination, the recovery only took 6 months. Plus, Kenny Smith changed his style of play, drawing interest from college evaluators around the nation. And the rest is history. Despite the tragic incident of running around with friends, the 2x NBA champion continues to do so on live TV. That’s why losing on the Inside the NBA segment is no big deal.
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