Stephen A. Smith is once again embroiled in a beef over something he said on the air.
The “First Take” host received push back from Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown and NBA legend Isiah Thomas after Smith had spoken about Brown on the ESPN show on Friday, May 24.
Smith was speaking with former Celtics player and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins about Brown as someone who is underrated in the league following Brown not being selected to an All-NBA team.
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In doing so, Smith read a text message that he said was sent to him during the segment by an NBA source.
“I want to read to y’all what an NBA source just sent me,” Smith said. “‘He said, ‘Jaylen Brown: it’s not so much that he’s underrated, it’s that he’s just not liked because of his ‘I am better than you attitude.’ He knows it. It’s the same reason he is not as marketable as he should be.’ That’s what an NBA source just sent me.'”
While the segment was full of praise for Brown, the clip that was aggregated and circulated on social media was of Smith reading the quote from the source.
Brown, who was just named Eastern Conference Finals MVP on Monday, quoted a video of Smith’s comments with a short reply.
“State your source,” Brown posted on Sunday, May 26.
State your source https://t.co/7ay3dXr6YN
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) May 26, 2024
Thomas then joined in support of Brown, who he said he’s friends with and sometimes advises.
“Before you slander his name @stephenasmith tell your source to put their name on it or don’t speak on it,” Thomas wrote. “Let it be known.”
I have been a friend, mentor and advisor to @FCHWPO since he was a student at UC Berkeley he is 100 percent marketable and before you slander his name @stephenasmith tell your source to put their name on it or don’t speak on it. Let it be known.
— Isiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) May 26, 2024
Smith then went on multiple platforms including “First Take” to respond to the comments from both Brown and Thomas. On “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on Monday, he spoke with Perkins and explained how he was simply reading a message about Brown’s marketability from a source but that he was praising Brown and did not necessarily agree with the message he received.
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“We were talking about the love that Jaylen Brown deserves because the brother can ball and he’s trying to make the claim that he’s the number one player on the Celtics,” Smith said. “And in the midst of that segment, I got a text from a source.”
“I said, Perk, I don’t feel that way about Jaylen Brown and I don’t know anyone else who feels that way about Jaylen Brown,” Smith said.
Perkins agreed with Smith, and added that he was unsure why Thomas would post on X rather than texting Smith instead, which he normally does.
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Thomas did respond on Sunday to a now-deleted tweet of Smith to say that it was “all love” between the two. Smith also said his respect for Thomas both on ESPN and on his podcast.
All love ❤️ between you and I @stephenasmith let’s talk when time permits. Tell your source to stand on their words and not use you to throw their stones. https://t.co/Q5TzEj6tZW
— Isiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) May 26, 2024
But the news is another additional name to the list of public beefs that Smith has had recently. Just last week, Smith and four-time NBA Champion Draymond Green said words about each other which was also about Smith’s role in media as it pertains to his treatment of players.
Over the last year, Smith has also had words with the likes of Dan Le Batard and reportedly even his own colleague, Pat McAfee.
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