Stephen A. Smith has been going viral for the videos of him walking onto NBA courts before games like he’s a superstar, prompting fans online to mock the veteran TV host. He caught friendly fire when recurring ‘First Take’ gues Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo tore into him for his braggadocious walk into Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
“This is ridiculous. How about him walking into Game 4 of the Finals in Dallas? Steve, this is stupid… Do you think you’re going to score 36 this night with the sunglasses on? I mean this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Russo explained the lost art of going to a game and enjoying with your friends, saying Smith is showing off his stardom.
“How about going to a ballgame with a t-shirt on and a pair of shorts, sitting in the upper deck, and having a beer with the fellas? Why are you doing this?! Look at this! It’s laughable. We know you’re a star, you don’t got to show off. Go sit upstairs and watch the game privately!”
Chris "Mad Dog" Russo takes aim at Stephen A. Smith's tunnel walk ahead of Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
"You think you're going to score 36 this night with the sunglasses on? I mean this is the dumbest thing I've ever seen in my life. How 'bout going to a ballgame with a t-shirt on… pic.twitter.com/O7r9Tt2kPI
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 19, 2024
Smith is arguably the most recognizable voice in sports media right now, which has given him the cache of a celebrity and not just a TV analyst. He makes cameo appearances on shows across TV, whether live or scripted, so he’s more of a TV star than just a basketball analyst. He knows people notice and recognize him when he walks into a room and he’s carrying himself like that.
Even with Stephen A’s profile, he’s coming to NBA games to cover and analyze them, not someone sitting courtside in celebrity row. That is the only reason anybody would be upset, though Smith probably knows he goes viral after every game he attends because of this walk.
Paul George Called Stephen A. Smith Out For Mocking Kawhi Leonard
Stephen A. Smith had plenty of viral moments during the NBA Finals, but most of them seem to be away from his analysis of the Mavericks vs. Celtics series. He was heavily criticized for comments to Molly Querin on his show by fans, with NBA players having different causes of concern with Smith.
During ESPN’s NBA Finals coverage, the network had nine-time All-Star Paul George join the show where Smith made a joke about PG playing with a co-star who is mostly unavailable. This was a clear shot at Kawhi Leonard, which prompted George to respond on ‘Podcast P.’
“I didn’t like that moment. I rock with Stephen A. obviously, but just let it go. Kawhi wants to play. I’ll keep beating that over the head until I am out of breath. He wants to play, but he keeps making it something that Kawhi doesn’t want to play or be there. I think we rode on Kawhi a lot this year to where it got to the point that it’s like, ‘It’s only so much my body can take right now.'”
Smith won’t walk back his comments on Leonard until the two-time champion shows him otherwise. Overall, Leonard did play 68 games this season before being hit with an untimely injury. If he can make it through the next season and Playoff healthy, maybe Smith will apologize to him the same way he apologized to Kyrie Irving.
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