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ESPN star Stephen A. Smith has already done enough to permanently damage his credibility as a legitimate sports journalist. But on Friday night, during Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Smith may have just tarnished his reputation for good when he was caught playing solitaire on his phone during the third quarter rather than watching the game.
X user @BleedBlue1986, who was attending the game in Indianapolis, posted a picture of Smith playing the card game on his phone with the caption, “How can you have all of these opinions while you’re playing solitaire instead of watching the game @stephenasmith?”
How can you have all of these opinions while you’re playing solitaire instead of watching the game @stephenasmith? pic.twitter.com/fqjnQLOHXU
— Kimberly (@BleedBlue1986) June 14, 2025
The picture quickly went viral and several other fans replied with additional photos of Smith seemingly looking disinterested while the game played out in front of him.
The incident comes just one day after Smith attempted to pick a fight with Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton after Haliburton brushed off criticism from members of the media.
“Just in case he was talking about me, my brother, I’m not going away. I’m gonna be here awhile,” Smith warned Haliburton. “Players far more accomplished and far more superior have made their efforts trying to call me out. How has that worked out?”
Therein lies the problem with Smith. Sports media members are routinely taught that their job is to highlight the games and athletes that they cover. But Smith doesn’t want to tell the story. He wants to be the story. This time around, however, he is the story, and it’s not for a good reason.
The 2025 NBA Finals between the Pacers and Thunder have been fantastic through four games. But it appears that Smith couldn’t care less. The teams aren’t in a big enough market for him. The star players aren’t prestigious enough. So he doesn’t care, and it makes a complete mockery of ESPN and the network’s coverage of the Finals as a whole.