During the prime years of ESPN’s “First Take,” it was common for sports fans to have their eyes glued to the screen daily. Throughout the show’s run, many different styles of shock jocks have come and gone. Whether it was the OG Skip Bayless or Max “I Want Iguodala” Kellerman, there was always someone who served as a counterpoint to the argument or topic at hand. Stephen A. Smith has had the longest tenure and is often regarded as ESPN’s cash cow. It was always arguable to determine if he was strictly an analyst or a personality. But one thing is for sure: this man knew how to generate traffic, often to the ire of players. Stephen A. Smith has been a force at ESPN for a while, yet it seems that his antics have finally caught up to him.
On March 7, during the Lakers vs. Knicks game, LeBron confronted Smith about his previous comments regarding his son, Bronny James’ transition into the NBA. Smith basically pleaded that LeBron should not have put his son in this position and that he was making a fool out of him on purpose. During the game, LeBron approached Smith and told him to keep his son’s name out of his mouth. The incident was polarizing, to say the least: Some felt Stephen A. insulted LeBron, while others said LeBron’s actions were completely unnecessary and that Bronny could defend himself. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the end nor the last of Smith’s antics.
“Screaming A” Smith went on his show on March 27 to clear the air about the situation. His version of the events showcased a lack of responsibility toward his wording about LeBron. He acted as if he was innocent through the ordeal, not realizing that a parent would feel some type of way if accused of the same things. In addition, he also mentioned that if LeBron had put his hands on him, he would’ve “immediately” swung on the 6-foot-9, 280-pound athlete. Regardless of the incident, there was no sign of physical aggression from LeBron to justify such a statement. So, the fact that he made a speculative statement about LeBron was unprofessional. Leave the tough guy talk out of it.
Sadly, the beef did not end there. Smith claimed that LeBron is a narcissist and a liar. This is due to LeBron calling Brian Windhorst “a weirdo” on “The Pat McAfee Show.” A strange statement, considering that Windhorst has been covering LeBron fairly since his junior high days. This caused Stephen A. Smith to become heated and baffled. He pointed out that LeBron did not attend Kobe’s funeral, unnecessarily bringing a deceased person into the argument. This is an accusation that has been deemed false by those who were around LeBron. Once again, this shows that Smith is getting way too emotional and line-stepping in this beef.
Overall, these incidents are an example of why people feel the NBA is declining. The media has done a horrible job executing professionalism. It’s clear that ESPN is in his ear to drive ratings and push headlines. However, it’s clear that people are tired of that shock-jock style of analysis. It’s a messy situation, but Stephen A. Smith needs to realize that people aren’t going to deal with his antics.
