stephen a smith
Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
In a hilarious moment on his podcast, FS1 talking head Nick Wright took ESPN contemporary Stephen A. Smith to task for his odd response to his recent drama with NBA superstar LeBron James.
Ultra-popular ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith made headlines last week in a very unexpected way. While courtside for a Los Angeles Lakers game, 21-time All-Star LeBron James left the huddle during a timeout and verbally confronted the 57-year-old.
The NBA legend took exception to comments Smith made this year about his son and teammate Bronny James. And how the elder James has put his son in a terrible situation as an underqualified NBA player. Smith did not do or say much before James stormed off back to the Lakers huddle and returned to their game. In the days since, he has tried to puff his chest out about his side of the situation and even suggested he would throw hands with the NBA icon, who is far larger, had punched him that night.
It is a comment that has gotten eye rolls around the NBA world. This week, popular FS1 analyst Nick Wright spoke about the incident on his “What’s Wright Show” and mocked Stephen A. Smith’s response to the entire situation. And even referenced a popular moment from the legendary TV series, Seinfeld.
Nick Wright mocks Stephen A. Smith for how he handled LeBron James drama
“Stephen A. over the last three weeks is doing what we’ve all done standing alone in the shower. ‘Oh, I should have said this. But if I had said that, it might have put him over the edge. And then they might have hit me. And if they hit me, then man, I’d have to hit him back. I know I’d get my a** kicked, but I’d have to.’ Stop it, man,” Write said.
“It’s [George] Costanza, and the shrimp, and the jerk store ran out of you. But in real time, in real life, against the world’s most popular athlete. All he had to say was, ‘It was communicated to me he was really bothered by what he thought was me questioning him as a father. That was never my intention. I would never do that,'” he said. “And it’s dead.
“Instead, you do half a dozen podcasts about it. You start fantasizing about ‘what if he had put his hands on me?’ It would appear we are in the midst of what the kids call a crash out.”
In the iconic Seinfeld episode, Costanza is embarrassed by a co-worker during a meeting but doesn’t respond. Instead, he spends days planning a spicy retort and even travels long distances to the former co-worker’s new job to deliver the remark.