Stephen A. Smith has officially fired back at Nick Wright after Wright accused him of acting like a ‘mob boss’ during his public feud with Jaylen Brown. And Stephen A. clearly took the comments personally.
Speaking on his podcast, Smith appeared to directly reference Wright while defending himself against criticism surrounding the controversy.
“So when one of my contemporaries tries to mention me as a mobster, saying I’m coming across as a mobster, he knows better. Once you figure out who I’m talking about, you can gauge his motives. He should be ashamed of himself, but I’ll leave it alone and let him hang out with his crew. And he knows that I know who they are. The point I’m making is that it’s not me being a mobster.”
“It’s me highlighting that we as reporters all have access to an abundance of information, whether it’s through players, coaches, executives, owners, agents, or even other journalists. Y’all have a community of people you communicate with as players, past, present, and future. What makes you think journalists don’t have that?
“You think I can’t pick up the phone and call a beat writer who used to cover the Washington Wizards? You think I don’t know who used to cover the team, whether it’s in Minnesota or Washington? You don’t think I know coaches, executives, and owners? You don’t think that when I said Daryl Morey needed to go as president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers, and it happened 36 hours later, that I knew it was coming? How would I know?”
“How many times do I have to tell you? Folks talk about the league. I cover it. I don’t have to cover it as a beat writer the way I used to. But when you’ve been around for 30 plus years in the same industry, you know people. You don’t even have to seek information. They bring it to you.”
The comments came after Wright blasted Smith publicly on ‘What’s Wright With Nick Wright,’ accusing him of damaging the relationship between NBA players and sports media.
Wright specifically criticized Smith for speaking to players like a mob boss after Smith warned Brown publicly that he knew how the Boston Celtics organization, teammates, and endorsement companies allegedly viewed him.
After hearing Smith’s latest response, Wright wasted no time mocking him again on social media.
“I’ve never seen someone’s defense be simply repeating the exact behavior they’re being criticized for.”
“I KNOW (waves hands) THINGS ABOUT YOU, TOO! I won’t say them, and they’re total figments of my imagination… but I KNOW THINGS! I’ll leave it at that!”
“10 out of 10. No notes.”
The entire feud originally started after Brown criticized Smith following Boston’s playoff collapse. Brown accused Smith of becoming ‘the face of clickbait media’ and questioned his journalistic integrity.
Smith responded aggressively on First Take, warning Brown to ‘be careful what you wish for’ while referencing relationships with executives, sponsors, and people around the Celtics organization. That triggered major backlash online.
Former NBA players like Kwame Brown also jumped into the debate recently, accusing Smith of threatening players publicly and acting as though he holds too much influence over the league. Now the situation has evolved far beyond just Brown versus Smith.
The bigger conversation centers around modern sports media itself. How much influence should analysts have? Where is the line between reporting and intimidation? And have some media personalities become bigger celebrities than the games they cover?
Right now, Smith and Wright appear nowhere close to ending the feud anytime soon.
