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One of the loudest pundits was the face of ESPN, Stephen A. Smith. He floated the theory — while saying he wasn’t sure if it was true — that Peterson was missing games because he was not receiving NIL payments. Peterson and his camp deny that was the case. “It was definitely frustrating, just because it was stuff that I can’t control and that wasn’t true,” Peterson said. “But that’s his job to get on there and say stuff. So, I mean, that’s what he thought. He said what he thought. I respect his thoughts. It is what it is.”
Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers claims there is nothing to a report from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that suggested the veteran head coach plans to retire after this season. “No, I’m not getting into that,” Rivers said when asked about Smith’s claim after Friday’s practice. “That’s something that; I think he feels that way, but not for me.”
Draymond Green on Stephen A. Smith: The problem that I have is we’re calling for all this accountability, but all these guys just get to say things and there’s zero accountability. There’s zero accountability when it comes to me. Just literally get to throw sh*t at a wall and see if it sticks. Zero accountability. But always want to hold others accountable. I don’t understand. Like these guys don’t have to answer for these awful a** takes they make. How wrong they be in most situations. But these are experts. I don’t understand it. It’s the only thing you can become an expert in and never have any experience with the game.
The ESPN personality Smith went viral during Tuesday’s episode of “First Take” over his comments about the former NBA All-Star forward Simmons. During a discussion about the Los Angeles Lakers’ poor perimeter shooting, Smith quipped, “They ain’t quite Ben Simmons.” When questioned by his co-hosts as to why he had brought up a player who was no longer in the NBA, Smith promptly went in Simmons. “As long as ‘First Take’ is in existence, Ben Simmons will catch strays,” said Smith. “I ain’t apologizing for it to a damn soul. There is no bigger thief in the history of the NBA than that man. “If Ben Simmons runs near a basketball arena, he should be arrested,” Smith added.
Stephen A. Smith is “moving closer” to a 2028 presidential run, according to one national political correspondent. “Stephen A. Smith is moving closer to a 2028 campaign... spending a few days with him in recent months reminded me of spending a few days with Trump back in 2013-2014. Many laughed at the prospect of a bid. But in an age of celebrity and social media...,” posted Robert Costa, a national correspondent for @CBSSunday and the chief Washington analyst for @CBSNews. Stephen A. Smith told Costa: “I will confess to you, I’m giving strong consideration to being on that debate stage for 2027” and running for the Democratic nomination. “I’ve got this year coming up 2026, to think about it, to study, to know the issues.”
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Stephen A. Smith will not be a regular contributor to ESPN’s NBA Countdown this season. But the decision did not come as a surprise removal or firing. It was a move that was negotiated by Smith before signing his $100 million deal with ESPN last spring. But after waking up to headlines claiming ESPN pulled him from the show, Smith decided to address his status with Countdown. “I’m trying to figure out what the news is here,” Smith said on the latest edition of Straight Shooter for SiriusXM. “I had a contract negotiation last year that started in June and ended in March, going into April. It was decided at that particular moment in time that I wouldn’t be doing NBA Countdown anymore because I didn’t want to. I loved doing the show, but after the show is over, I got a whole bunch of other stuff that I gotta do and I didn’t want to be stuck in studio until midnight. No shade against ESPN, no shade against my wonderful colleagues.”
MrBuckBuck: FBI Director Kash Patel fires back at Stephen A. Smith claiming the NBA gambling bust was "REVENGE" from President Trump for the NBA's left-wing activism: "That may be the single DUMBST thing I've ever heard out of anyone in modern history. And I live most of my time in Washington, D.C."
FBI Director Kash Patel fires back at Stephen A. Smith claiming the NBA gambling bust was "REVENGE" from President Trump for the NBA's left-wing activism: "That may be the single DUMBST thing I've ever heard out of anyone in modern history. And I live most of my time in Washington, D.C."
— MrBuckBuck (@mrbuckbucknba.bsky.social) 2025-10-24T08:40:22.759Z
During a recent episode of "7PM In Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony," Smith revisited the moment with the New York Knicks legend, saying that the circumstances of the conversation with James as well as how it appeared on camera still doesn’t sit right with him. "The day that he rolled up on me courtside, it was the day my contract was announced that I had stayed with ESPN," Smith explained on the podcast. "Go back and look at the camera angle…This is 2025, we got technology everywhere. TNT is a nationally televised game. How is it we got one angle, and the only angle you see was of him and his face, but you see the back of my peanut head?"
Smith believes that, considering James’ star status, there would’ve been many more camera angles of the courtside meeting. "There’s no way that you’re in an arena, you’re LeBron James, and the only angle that somebody sees is a straight up shot of you getting in my face," Smith added. "They see no reaction. They see nothing. And that’s an accident?"
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Stephen A. Smith: "If the Clippers—let’s say for example—they win the West? I think we need to serenade CP3. Throw a damn parade in L.A. for that. But let me tell you something right now… Mr. Load Management. Kawhi Leonard. I mean, listen—that brother is a two-time champion and two-time Finals MVP... but he’s really the champion at getting days off. Ain’t nobody done this [bleep] better than him. I mean, I watch him... people think I’m insulting him. I’m like—nah—I’m marveling at his ass. I’m like, 'How did he do it?' Like—how? I mean... he’s the reason I just stopped talking about Kyrie. I’m like, this [bleep] will miss some games. He will miss some games."
Stephen A. Smith: "You got cats out there, and they go at NBA players and stuff like that. Like—you bring up LeBron. You ever see LeBron go at the white boy? Let’s call it what it is." "You ever see him do that? You saw him come at me. The closest you’ve ever seen him come to doing something like that was when he called out Brian Windhorst." "And what you calling out Brian Windhorst for? The man has covered you since junior high school. He’s praised you repeatedly. And you used the Pat McAfee situation to go at him?"
Stephen A. Smith: "I wouldn't use the word 'proud.' I would tell you that I don’t regret anything I did in terms of handling the situation. I don’t regret it now. And I would tell you—my feelings haven’t changed. I don’t like him at all. He doesn’t like me at all." "I don’t like talking about him, because I think people assume I’m looking to talk about him—like LeBron is living inside Stephen A.’s head. If you don’t ask me about him, I won’t talk about him. You see what I’m saying? I’ve got a job to do, and he will never interfere with my job. I’m going to be professional." "This man is, in my mind, the second-greatest player to have ever played the game of basketball. He’s a great ambassador for the game. He’s an incredible role model. What he has done with himself and his crew—it’s beyond admirable. And he will always warrant the utmost respect." "But everybody hasn’t had the relationship with him that I’ve had. I’m in the media. I’m a commentator and a pundit. I know the things he’s done behind the scenes. I know the things he’s said behind my back. I know what he tried to do to derail me from being in the position I’m in today. I know that if it were up to him, I’d have been stopped years ago. So, it goes far deeper than I’ll ever get into publicly—knowing that, I still went on the air and was fair."
Stephen A. Smith is already probably the most influential sports commentator in the media game. His salary proves it, as he is pushing $40 million a year in earnings, sources briefed on his contracts told The Athletic. His ESPN deal totals five years and $105 million, while his new SiriusXM contract is for three years and $36 million, according to the sources. The $33 million per year base from his two main employers, combined with the revenue from his YouTube channel and podcast, will result in him approaching $40 million a year.