Stephen A. Smith is well aware of the criticism he’s received for his reporting regarding the Los Angeles Lakers’ hiring of JJ Redick as their next head coach.
And unsurprisingly, the ESPN star isn’t backing down.
During Monday’s episode of First Take, Smith addressed the backlash he has received for reporting that there were Black NBA head coaches who were upset that LeBron James started a podcast with Redick when his head coach, Darvin Ham — who is Black — was perceived to be on the hot seat. Responding to the criticism, the First Take host reiterated that he was merely reporting what he had been told and urged others — specifically “white folks” — to stay out of it.
“Black coaches called a Black commentator to complain about a Black superstar doing a podcast while his Black head coach was on the hot seat before he ultimately lost the damn job,” Smith said. “What does that have to do with white folks? Some things are none of your damn business.”
Smith proceeded to take a not-so-subtle shot at Fox Sports Radio’s Doug Gottlieb, who referred to him as a “race-baiter” following his reporting.
“It was a Black on Black thing, but you’ve got other folks who will remain nameless working for other networks with their irrelevant-ass selves popping their junk,” he said. “And the fact of the matter is it has absolutely positively nothing to do with that. It’s about that the fact that this situation ended up looking the way that it looks optically.”
While Smith’s comments were clearly directed at the Wisconsin-Green Bay head coach, it’s worth noting that his ESPN colleague, Pat McAfee, also appeared to take issue with First Take‘s commentary regarding Redick in recent weeks.
“I don’t appreciate or like how JJ Redick has been talked about by a lot of people who have been coworkers of JJ Redick,” McAfee said on Friday’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show. “And I am not somebody who is tight with JJ Redick.”
As a member of the media — in which he routinely appeared on First Take — Redick established a reputation as a lightning rod. His brief tenure as a head coach already appears to have gotten off to a similar start.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.