“Inverted knees” – a phrase used by fans to troll Kenny ‘The Jet Smith’s problematic knees. “My knee had gone extremely wrong,”, said Smith about his injury he sustained back when he was young. His dedication to overcome that tough period, both physically and mentally, continues to garner. After all, he went on to have a great basketball career winning two NBA Championships. In his late 50s, his knee issues appear to be resurfacing. But despite that, the 2025 NBA All-Stars have shown massive faith in the basketball legend.

After their retirement, the NBA pros-turned-analysts – Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith – had face offs only at the TNT studio. Now, they will face each other at the 2025 NBA All-Star as well. But who has the most wins? That’s a different story, as the TNT crew “likes to cheat”, according to Stephon Castle. Well, whom do you think can win?

The NBA All-Stars believe it to be ‘The Jet’. In a conversation with the players, NBA on TNT asked them to name who they think can win a race among Smith, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Ernie Johnson. The 2x NBA champ took the crown with more than 5 votes. 

Brandon Miller, Cam Johnson, Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, Victor Wembanyama and more vouched for Smith. Johnson said, “I’m going with Kenny, I think he’s still got it. Carolina guy, he definitely still got it.” Scoot Henderson thinks that the entire cast is slow. While he too named Smith, Henderson also mentioned his concern about the former Houston Rockets star’s knees.

Wembanyama believes that Smith is fitter than the rest of the cast. However, it’s better to not underestimate O’Neal and Barkley. Bub Carrington and Stephon Castle named O’Neal. In recent years, both have gotten back to working out and are in good shape. The two also often beat Smith in their short race on Inside the NBA. However, Smith is the more popular choice here. But his knees could be a problem. 

How did Kenny Smith get injured? 

Back in 1981, the basketball legend was in Queens for his education. However, one time, on his way to catch a train, he sustained the injury. His growth plate had broken off, requiring surgery. 

“I couldn’t even straighten my leg. By the end of the day, I learned that my growth plate had broken off and was dislodged inside the joint of my knee. The doctors said surgery was necessary, and just like that all my dreams fell into serious jeopardy. Playing on national television, advancing to college and the NBA—it was all endangered.”  he once said. It was a tough time for him. He had his college career and the NBA ahead of him. 

But he didn’t give up. After the surgery, he took heed of his father’s advice and started working on himself. “This injury can stop you and you can become a lamb. Or you may put in a lot of effort to become a tiger,’” Smith said of his father. The rest, as we know, is history.