Stephen A. Smith has been making his rounds on various podcasts, continuing his verbal tongue-lashing of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and tying up any loose ends that could too closely affiliate him with radical Democrats in case of a run for political office in 2028.
Smith has been criticized by many people in the past few weeks for “switching up,” as It seems that his ideology and beliefs are moving further away from the grassroots community in Hollis, Queens that raised him into an ambitious man. Once seen as a loud spoken and reliable sports voice that revolutionized the sports debate game, Smith has lost some of his reverence when it comes to setting the standard for his colleagues and other Black voices.
“I just don’t recognize him anymore,” Joe Budden podcast co-host Marc Lamont Hill said on a recent episode. “ Being honest about who you are. It’s not a criticism that’s just not the person I know. Some of the things he’s saying, some of the way he’s moving…”
Hill Doesn’t Agree With The Way Smith Has Handled LeBron James Beef
“When I watched the LeBron thing play out last year I felt like there was a moment where I wanted Stephen A to take the high road,” Hill said. “And just kind of back away from that thing. But I get it, it’s the ego thing again. It feels like LeBron chumped you in front of…I get it. But at some point you have to make a decision about how you’re gonna move.”
Hill Addresses Stephen A. Smith Switchup On Kyrie Irving COVID Vaccine Stance
Hill also commented on Smith’s relationship turmoil with NBA star Kyrie Irving, and Smith’s newfound position on Kyrie’s COVID-19 vaccine stance.
“The Kyrie thing felt really cynical to me,” Hill said. ”I appreciate him addressing it because I thought he didn’t treat Kyrie well and I thought Kyrie deserved better from Stephen A. When he started saying yeah but that COVID-19 thing and specifically talking about the conspiracy theories it didn’t quite make sense to me. But It felt like he was trying to play to that right wing audience again who he wants to watch his platform. It felt like less of an apology to Kyrie and more like he was like ‘look Republicans I’m here.”
Hill Says LeBron Set Up The Stephen A. Confrontation
Elaborating on the LeBron situation, Hill says he thinks LeBron set the moment up knowing the cameras would be watching. In other words it was a show.
“I think he set him up. He waited for the moment where certain people would be there and certain people wouldn’t be there. I think the cameras were where they were supposed to be. Lebron is very calculated, he didn’t just haphazardly run up on Stephen A. Smith.”
Joe Budden insisted that he doesn’t care if it was set up or not but LeBron’s “message” was given, and going on Pat MacAfee’s show was just “corporate banging.”
Bron addressed the incident once and unlike SAS, hasn’t spoken on it since.
“He completely missed the whole point,” Bron said of Smith. “Never would I ever not allow people who talk about the sport to criticize players about what they do on the court. That is your job to criticize… that is all part of the game.”
Bron, who missed the Lakers’ opening night game on Tuesday – a loss to Steph Curry’s (23 points) Golden State Warriors – continued, “But when you take it, and you get personal with it, it’s my job not only to protect my d-mn household but protect the players.”
LeBron James Blamed Stephen A. Smith For Clout Chasing
Contrary to what Hill suggested, LeBron noted at the time that it would be Smith who would be most delighted by Bron addressing the confrontation.
He said, “And I know he’s gonna be happy as hell. He’s going to be smiling from ear to ear when he hears me talking about him again. Oh my God!”
LeBron said the sports commentator “is on a Taylor Swift tour run right now.”
“Are you kidding me? If there was one person that couldn’t wait for the video to drop, it was your -ss. Like Seriously?”
Black Community Thinks Stephen A. Smith Is Turning Back On Them
Smith has been under attack recently by Black social media for what they say is him flip-flopping on issues to attract conservative voters. Smith has also been accused of lacking the same energy for verbal combat with white subjects as he does with other Blacks. Smith is racking up a nice collection of high-ranking Black officials in politics that he’s gone at, including Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and former First Lady Michele Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris. He’s had verbal battles with a number of Black athletes and other journalists.
As Smith continues to build his platform and dive head first into political waters, he is moving with a specific motion. Recalling his pro-left COVID stance on Kyrie Irving could be a change of heart based on “new information” and an acceptance of conspiracy theories as Smith would have us believe. Or it could easily be the political postering that Hill suggests.
