Gilbert Arenas has built a reputation as one of the NBA’s most unfiltered personalities, and his latest Instagram post proves he hasn’t lost his touch. In a hilarious rant that instantly went viral, Arenas jokingly told Stephen A. Smith to sucker punch LeBron James on his upcoming 41st birthday.
“This is the only advice I got for Stephen A right now. You got to get your get back, right? Listen, I’m going to tell you the date. December 30th, it’s his birthday. He’s playing Detroit. Now, who’s on Detroit Pistons? The last f**er that tried to get him.”
“Detroit Pistons at Crypto.com, right? You thinking what I’m thinking? You got backup.”
“Stephen A, you bring one of these. You bring one of these with you, right? And you keep it behind your back. And then as soon as the time he’s going to have his back turned to you, he’s going to be listening to the play.”
“And you walk on him. And then you got to do it like real, like real 90s style. And you got to hit him with the show. And you got to exaggerate this s**t, Stephen A. You got to start it with show you get.”
“And then you knock that motherf***ing head off. Okay, he is 6’9 and about 260. So he probably won’t fall. He probably won’t fall. It’d be like, man, what was that? He might do that, but it don’t matter. So that’s all you have to do.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/p:DNtMZJc3jOr
The joke lands against the ongoing, very public tension between Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James. Last season, the two exchanged subtle and not-so-subtle shots. Smith recently said that on Arenas’ Gil Arena’s podcast that the two “don’t like each other.”
Enter Gilbert Arenas, who thrives on pouring gasoline on already fiery debates. The three-time All-Star has reinvented himself as a podcast host and online personality, known for outrageous takes and sharp humor.
Telling Stephen A. to cheap-shot LeBron on his birthday against Detroit was Arenas leaning into his comedy lane.
Fans quickly caught on, sharing the clip across platforms with reactions ranging from shock to amusement. The idea of Stephen A., a 57-year-old broadcaster, squaring up against the NBA’s all-time leading scorer was absurd enough to keep the joke running.
Of course, no one expects Stephen A. Smith to actually swing at LeBron James courtside at Crypto.com Arena this December. But Arenas’ viral post underscores the entertainment value of NBA personalities away from the court.
The LeBron–Stephen A. beef may never result in anything physical, but in the age of podcasts, streams, and social media, the drama rarely needs to.
On December 30th, LeBron will likely celebrate his 41st birthday by playing basketball as he’s always done, dominating on the court. Meanwhile, fans will be waiting to see if Stephen A. even dares to show up, or if Gilbert Arenas’ wild advice remains just that: a viral laugh.
