While the days of Stephen A. Smith shouting at Skip Bayless for three hours on ESPN are long gone, ESPN continues to embrace Smith’s role in First Take‘s manufactured debate. As of late, former NBA player J.J. Redick has been a regular co-host alongside Smith. But even for Redick, he found that he can get carried away with the show’s desire for conflict.
That certainly happened during Tuesday’s discussion about a possible LeBron James retirement.
After Redick tried to rationalize LeBron’s comments from Monday’s Game 4 elimination, Smith essentially brushed away Redick’s remarks and called it nonsense. That led to Redick getting personal about Smith’s brief college basketball career.
“You didn't play Stephen A. You don't understand our athletic mortality. 3 games at, wherever, South Dakota, Winston-Salem State doesn't count.”
– JJ Redick 😬pic.twitter.com/2Wk7NJzlPd
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) May 23, 2023
Smith clearly didn’t appreciate Redick going with the “you didn’t play” card for a sports argument as you can understand a game without being able to physically perform it at a world-class level. Whether there was tension or something said off camera, we don’t know. But Redick felt the need to apologize to Smith for crossing that line and getting personal.
Redick later offered up an apology to Stephen A for his earlier comments.
Is this friction intended, healthy, and all in the game. Or are these two genuinely starting to wear on each other? pic.twitter.com/WtTRQh9KJr
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 23, 2023
Fans also had thoughts on the whole exchange.
This was how Twitter reacted
Wait JJ played in the NBA? He never mentions it… https://t.co/8XDJR8gCdV
— Jack McGuire (@JackMacCFB) May 23, 2023
JJ every time SA speak on something he didn’t actually do. lol https://t.co/ivTrccDgj4 pic.twitter.com/bYgqDh5chO
— blessYOU🌻 (@onnagfolx) May 23, 2023
This remains the lamest fallback jab in the playbook https://t.co/J85V5jwsrN
— Daman Rangoola (@damanr) May 23, 2023
Oh this is spicy https://t.co/KTGIzkJiw1
— Vic Damone Jr (@wholesomefoxx) May 23, 2023
You have to play in the NBA to understand that people get old? https://t.co/XOOBXMEDa1
— De’Vion Hinton (@LordDexHinton) May 23, 2023
He said he averaged 0.4 PPG lmaoo https://t.co/syApN00fjj
— Calenta (@NBAPaint1) May 23, 2023
I’m here for it, but you had a good run JJ. https://t.co/S1o8dPZPhN
— Jared. (@Jayleejnr) May 23, 2023
JJ's condescending, know-it-all tone should benefit him as an NBA coach! Players love being talked to just like this. https://t.co/5r09yLZuyF
— Mike Meech (@meechone) May 23, 2023
Great job by Stephen A. side stepping Reddick's smugness https://t.co/T9zstvyVwH
— Kurr Kurr (@RosebudKane25) May 23, 2023
