ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith recently garnered considerable attention for his harsh comments about Zion Williamson‘s eating habits before the New Orleans Pelicans game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Although the statement itself was meant to address Williamson’s weight issues and their impact on his health, it was evidently a jab at the Pelicans star.
Needless to say, Stephen A. Smith drew the ire of the New Orleans Pelicans’ PR team, who proceeded to take a shot at the analyst by posting a compilation of Smith’s underwhelming sporting exploits on social media, captioning the video:
“Stick to solitaire, Stephen.”
Stick to solitaire Stephen pic.twitter.com/1hBtJThJdx
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 3, 2026
While hilarious in its own right, the post inevitably caught Stephen A. Smith’s eye. Given his penchant for entering feuds with all entities on social platforms, the analyst responded by threatening the Pelicans’ PR team.
“Pulling out stuff from a decade, two decades, three decades ago, ???? No problem. See y’all tomorrow on @FirstTake. Remember one thing: YOU ASKED FOR THIS!!!!” Smith tweeted in response to the video.
While Smith’s threat isn’t to be taken lightly, especially considering how incensed he can be when on the air, the Pelicans’ PR team seems unfazed, responding with a GIF of former “First Take” co-host Max Kellerman to add salt to the burn.
For the most part, fans on social media appeared to side with the Pelicans’ PR team. However, with Stephen A. Smith promising some fireworks on his show, we look forward to seeing his scathing response.
Stephen A. Smith Has No Reason To Criticize Zion Williamson
Over the past few years, Zion Williamson has been repeatedly scrutinized for being out of shape and missing games due to recurring injuries. This has been true for the most part, but this season has been an outlier.
While his health has been a point of concern, Zion Williamson has shown improvements. Despite New Orleans’ poor record, with averages of 21.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game this season, he has been a key member of the Pelicans’ rotation.
Williamson displayed real commitment to staying healthy, appearing in phenomenal shape at the start of the 2025-26 season. As a result, the Pelicans’ superstar has been more available, appearing in 46 of the team’s 63 games, including a noteworthy streak of 35 consecutive appearances.
The forward’s streak came to an end after he missed Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, but he bounced back quickly by joining the roster for Tuesday night’s game against the Lakers.
Although his team lost, Williamson was his team’s best performer, as he posted 24 points and four rebounds on 10-18 shooting from the field. In this regard, Stephen A. Smith may not have much room to downplay Zion Williamson’s production on today’s episode of “First Take.”
