Delusional Stephen A. Smith take on Tyler Herro might be the most disrespectful yet

After years of speculation, the Milwaukee Bucks finally traded Giannis Antetokounmpo. In the process, they brought Wisconsin native Tyler Herro back home, giving him an opportunity to thrive with the team he probably grew up rooting for.

Herro took the league by storm as a rookie out of Kentucky, looking like the biggest steal in the 2019 NBA Draft. He didn't necessarily take off in the years that followed, but he's still a respected three-level scorer and a proven competitor.

The Bucks are going through a bit of a transition, and he'll probably be asked to do plenty of heavy lifting on offense. While that will probably help with his numbers and exposure, ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith actually feels bad for him.

In the latest edition of his podcast, the hot-take specialist shared one of his most tone-deaf and clueless rants yet, jokingly claiming that Herro should retire after having to move from Miami to Milwaukee.

Stephen A. Smith is just clueless about Tyler Herro and the Bucks

“Your heart goes out to guys like Tyler Herro who can ball and others like Kel’el Ware. It’s hard going from Miami to Milwaukee. I’m just going to keep it a buck with you. That is not an easy transition to make, socially. That is not an easy transition to make!” Smith said. "When you think about your quality of life from Miami to Milwaukee? Oh my god. I think if it were me, I’d cry. I’d contemplate retirement to be quite honest with you. I’m sorry that would be me.”

Normally, Smith should get the benefit of the doubt. Fans could just take that friendly jab as it is and consider it harmless banter. However, after watching him run his mouth, spread misinformation and talk about things he clearly hasn't watched or even bothered to research, he can't get a pass this time.

Granted, Smith shouldn't have to know where all professional athletes were born and raised, but the least thing he could do before spilling that type of narrative is research. Herro should feel more than comfortable going from South Beach to Milwaukee, the very same place he called home for 17 years before committing to the University of Kentucky. He had even committed to play for the Badgers first.

While that might sound like an honest mistake, it isn't. This is just another example of how national pundits and mainstream sports media don't pay attention to small-market teams. Worse, even, they deliberately perpetuate those narratives to keep small-market teams down.

Smith has had full segments discussing LeBron James' next move during the NBA Finals. He and his ESPN colleagues were urging Giannis Antetokounmpo to join the Knicks when he was winning MVPs in Milwaukee. Wash, rinse, and repeat; it's the same cycle over and over. Now that Giannis is gone, why bother even tuning in? That's the message they're sending, whether they're aware of it or not.

Tyler Herro isn't a superstar of Giannis' caliber. He's a borderline All-Star who can get hot and drop 30 on anybody on any given night, and asking him to fill in for Giannis is as unfair as it's unrealistic. But expecting him to be miserable just because he's in Milwaukee or simply assuming the Bucks will be terrible for the sake of it isn't good content; it's a lazy take.

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