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Reading: Molly Qerim Blasts Stephen A. Smith And His ‘Big Market’ Bias
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Home > NBA News & Analysis > Molly Qerim Blasts Stephen A. Smith And His ‘Big Market’ Bias

Molly Qerim Blasts Stephen A. Smith And His ‘Big Market’ Bias

Stephen A. Smith gets exposed over his big market bias.

Nico Martinez
Dec 13, 2024
5 Min Read
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Credit: Fadeaway World

In a viral moment on First Take this week, Molly Querim challenged Stephen A. Smith and his apparent bias for large markets. The scene got heated on live television as Stephen A. and Molly hashed it out over favoritism toward New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. 

“It’s not sexy enough for you… Stephen A is all box office, he wants every free agent to go to the Lakers, he hates small markets, it’s just not sexy enough for him,” said Molly. “Every time there’s a good player in that’s in Milwaukee or whatever, it’s always ‘Bring him to New York! Go to the Knicks, go to the Lakers, let’s have LeBron and Steph play together!’ You don’t care about small markets and for you, it’s always box office. You’re a New Yorker that’s an Alabama fan — it’s just not sexy enough for you.”

Molly Qerim FRIES Stephen A and his big market bias 😳🔥

“It’s not sexy enough for you… Stephen A is all box office, he wants every free agent to go to the Lakers, he hates small markets… every time there’s a good player in Milwaukee, it’s always BRING HIM TO NEW YORK” pic.twitter.com/oSzIsNk5Ao

— BucksShowYo🦌 (@BucksShowYo) December 12, 2024

Not every city is built equally in the United States and some places are generally considered more attractive than others. For most sports fans, places like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco are all going to be considered more attractive because of their vibrant nightlife and countless business opportunities. 

Stephen A. Smith, more than most journalists, has never been shy about his love for the more popular, high-market cities. Sunny and warm places like Like Angeles and Miami, specifically, have been favorite destinations for Stephen A. Smith and he has been vocal about his love and preference for the cities.

This bias is why Smith has typically spoken more highly of the Heat and why he has typically celebrated anytime they make a run or achieve any kind of playoff success. In the case of the Lakers, Smith has named them as his preferred landing spot in several trade scenarios, including for Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, and many other stars over the years.

And while Stephen A. Smith may not like to admit his bias, it’s actually a growing trend in the NBA community among both fans and especially the players. Now, more than ever, we’re seeing the game’s best performers gravitate toward the most iconic teams (usually the Warriors, Lakers, 76ers, Knicks, or Heat) and it’s almost completely shut out the other teams (like the Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards) from luring any free agents at all.

Even when the small market teams can find a star, they eventually force their way out, like what happened with Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, and Bradley Beal.

The result has been a lopsided balance of power in which most of the success is hoarded by the same bunch of teams every year. This season that trend continues to hold up. Teams like the Mavericks, Warriors, Knicks, and Celtics are near the top of the standings while the Raptors, Hornets, Jazz, and Pelicans are all near the bottom.

So while Stephen A. Smith is hardly alone in his bias toward big cities, he’s not helping the problem by being so vocal about his preferences on the air. Doing that only further disrupts the NBA’s level of parity and pressures the few stars remaining in the small market teams to give up and join the big city.

Stephen A. may not like to admit it, but he’s all about the box office and he wants to be anywhere that has the most exciting thing going on. Many athletes feel the exact same way and it’s why the bigger cities will always have an easier time attracting the stars.

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

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Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

TAGGED:ESPNMolly QerimStephen A. Smith
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ByNico Martinez
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Nico Martinez is a veteran staff writer for Fadeaway World from Brooklyn, New York. He joined Fadeaway World in 2016 and is currently residing in Columbia, South Carolina. Nico holds a degree in Sports Management from Columbia International University where he built a strong foundation in the inner workings of sports media and management. Nico's contributions have significantly enhanced the credibility and depth of Fadeaway World's content, earning him recognition across the sports journalism community. His work has been discussed in prestigious publications like Sports Illustrated. A dedicated follower of LeBron James, Nico often leads coverage on news related to the basketball star. With nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, Nico consistently provides comprehensive and timely basketball news, engaging a wide audience of basketball enthusiasts.Nico's most desired player to interview, past or present, is Kevin Durant. He is particularly keen on asking Durant if he has any regrets about his career, especially concerning his departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and why he engages so much with fans on social media. 
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