Advertisement - scroll for more content
Asked about James this time, Smith hinted at prior attempts by James to come at him but refused to re-engage. However, Smith took particular note of James’ decision to choose a fellow ESPNer, Pat McAfee, for his sitdown. That interview notably aired on the network directly following Smith’s First Take. “All I would say is people don’t know the things that have happened behind the scenes,” Smith said. “Things that have been said, who they’ve been said to. The kind of things that have been engaged in in an effort to hurt me, along with contemporaries and others.” “There’s a lot of sh*t that I don’t say. And there’s a reason that I feel the way that I do. And the last straw was him approaching me and turning the Bronny thing into something about me attacking somebody’s family, when it was him I was talking about. Not Bronny. And then to go on The Pat McAfee Show, which comes directly on after my show. On the channel that I work on. To insult me. Now, people can get into all kind of components that go into it and all that other stuff. I have nothing to say.”
Stephen A. Smith on LeBron James: 'He doesn't like me and I don't like him'
Stephen A. Smith on LeBron James: There's no relationship. He doesn't like me and I don't like him. Q. Still can we can we mediate? Smith: There's nobody that can mediate. I would tell you that what I won't do is spend time when I The one thing that I would like to say is that I don't talk about him unless I'm asked. Now, some people say, ‘Well, why you talking about him?’ Cuz I was asked. And this is what I do for a living. So, how the hell am I going to get away with saying no comment? That doesn't work coming from Stephen A. It might work coming from somebody else. That work coming from me. But I have no desire to talk about him at all.
Stephen A. Smith: LeBron James is the second greatest player in the history of basketball
Stephen A. Smith: He is, in my mind, the second greatest player in the history of basketball, who is a four-time champion, a four-time league MVP. He's been an incredible ambassador for the game of basketball. His respect has been earned, not given, and nobody can deny that. But that's the basketball player, not the man. And all I would say is people don't know the things that have happened behind the scenes, things that have been said, who they've been said to, the kind of things that have been engaged in in an effort to hurt me along with contemporaries and others. There's a lot of that I know that I don't say, and there's a reason that I feel the way that I do. And the last straw was him approaching me and turning the Bronny thing into something about me attacking somebody's family when it was him I was talking about, not Bronny. And then to go on a Pat McAfee show, which comes directly on after my show on the channel that I work on to insult me.
“Do you remember when some loud dude named Stephen A. Smith referred to you as ‘some dude named Hartenstein’? You got anything to say to somebody that said that? Gotta ask you that.” Isaiah Hartenstein: “The funny thing is, when I saw it—I wasn’t not playing at the time. Like, I was playing. I was a part of the team. I was a big part of the team at the time. So I don’t know who showed it to me, but he’s like, ‘Yo, you saw this?’ I was like, ‘What?’” “Funny thing is—he came back to me in the Finals. He was like, ‘Bro, I miss you. I miss you in New York.’ So we cool and stuff. But I think just at the time—it’s funny—but that’s kind of what Mark, our coach, talks about a lot: just blocking out the machine.” “Most of these people, he said, they put on makeup before they get on set. Most of them don’t watch every single game. So they’re just doing what’s best for TV. So it’s no hard feelings.”
Kyrie Irving criticizes Stephen A. Smith's salary: Does he deserve to earn more than Wemby?
Stephen A. Smith, arguably the most recognizable name in sports broadcasting, recently signed a five-year, $25 million contract with ESPN. That’s more annually than Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs’ rising star, who’s making $13.7 million. “Does Smith deserve to earn more than Wemby?” Kyrie Irving asked rhetorically—highlighting the strange optics of a broadcaster out-earning a generational basketball talent.
Advertisement
“I’m going to discuss Stephen A’s contract, and I’m going to say he’s not worth it,” Kyrie said bluntly on stream. “Obviously, Stephen A., this is for an [example],” he clarified, making clear it wasn’t a personal attack—just a point about fairness.
The 57-year-old’s effort and commitment went into overdrive during the NBA Playoffs, the same way they did over the last several springs, with Smith often pulling double duty with First Take in the morning and basketball studio analysis at night. This, however, will be the last time Smith encounters this particular set of circumstances at ESPN. With the Inside the NBA crew moving over from TNT Sports starting next season, Smith will no longer have those late NBA Countdown assignments. “Inside The NBA is coming here and nobody can be happier for that than me,” Stephen A. continued. “Not just because those guys are great, but it gives me what I believe to be well-earned relief. It’s been a long time. I’ve been covering the NBA for 30 years, so I’m going to get somewhat of a reprieve to some degree in that regard in terms of an inordinate amount of assignments that I’ve had in the past. So, I’m happy about that.”
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is “taking Memphis Mayor Paul Young on his invitation to visit the Bluff City,” according to Jason Munz the Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL. Smith caused a “major stink” on June 17, when his comments about Memphis set off a “firestorm of reactions” -- including from Grizzlies G Ja Morant. Young posted on social media: “Stephen, we’ll welcome you here anytime. Just don’t bet against us. Memphis doesn’t stay down.” And less than 48 hours later, Smith “accepted the invitation.”
What is going on with you and LeBron James? Stephen A. Smith: I have nothing to say about that. I don’t like him, and he don’t like me. He’s one of the greatest players who’s ever lived. I’m going to show him that respect, and I’m going to cover him objectively. When he does great, I’m gonna applaud. When he doesn’t do great, I’m not gonna applaud. He hid behind his son [Los Angeles Laker Bronny James], tried to make something out of nothing, as if I was dogging his son, which I was not. The real issue was we don’t like each other. And he used that as an excuse to confront me. I got it.
He also posted, “Instead of focusing on the performances we seen from Jdub/Shai [Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander], Tj/Siakam [T.J. McConnell and Pascal Siakam], how this series is going,” Morant continued. “We say [something] negative about a city/team on a national level.” The tweet seemingly made it's way back to Stephen A. Smith, which prompted him to make a long post saying: “So this is what we’re doing now @JaMorant? I recall talking about the Finals. But the @memgrizz made news because of Bane getting traded. AND, your possible extension coming up. Would you prefer I go into detail about WTH has been going on in Memphis? Why players have stated they’re not interested in going? Or even MORE details? Or would you like me to leave well enough alone, and let the great peeps of Memphis address it on their own? Your call! I’m all ears!”
Advertisement
Ja Morant calls out Stephen A. Smith
Ja Morant: talkin bout the grizz more than the finals😂 wit these 🧢 ahh sources. Instead of focusing on the performances we seen from jdub/shai , tj/siakam, how this series is going . we say sumn negative about a city/team on a national level.
The topic on the show “First Take” was about whether the team should move on from Morant, where Smith spoke about how the destination is not a “safe environment,” even saying that players have told him that. This garnered the attention of Morant, who took to X, formerly Twitter, and critiqued how the coverage is on the team rather than the current NBA Finals and even called out his “sources.” “Instead of focusing on the performances we seen from Jdub/Shai [Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander], Tj/Siakam [T.J. McConnell and Pascal Siakam], how this series is going,” Morant continued. “We say [something] negative about a city/team on a national level.”
David Samson defending Stephen A. Smith is laughable. The ex-Miami Marlins president and host of Nothing Personal with David Samson said as much, all while coming to the defense of Stephen A. for mindlessly playing Solitaire during Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Pat McAfee respects Smith’s commitment to playing your father’s favorite card game. So does Samson. Well, sort of… “Defending someone who I think is a complete blowhard, who does not have complete conviction in all his feelings,” Samson began. “And just wants to make sure he can get clipped and aggregated. By the way, I’m genuflecting in your general direction to get $20 million to do what you do. Believe me.”
“My biggest complaint about Stephen A. Smith, about ESPN, is every single game of the NBA Finals, in my mind — forget the digital signage, which was totally botched — my view is that there is not that sort of excitement, that sort of drama,” said Samson. “This series has been full of drama. We’ve got a Game 5 tonight, which is really Game 1 in a 2-out-of-3. Go back to the days when I was young and 66 percent of you weren’t even born. And the first round of the NBA Playoffs…used to be a 2-out-of-3. The most amazing thing about a 2-out-of-3 – and it was the first round — but the most amazing thing is: yikes, you gotta win Game 1.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement