Stephen A. Smith expects cameras to find him during the NBA Finals

Stephen A. Smith might not be the best basketball player at the NBA Finals, but he’ll be the best dressed person in attendance, according to him.

While pregame tunnel walks are usually reserved for players as they arrive to NBA games, ESPN has similarly captured Smith strutting through the arena on occasion. Smith no longer contributes to Countdown thanks to ESPN’s acquisition of Inside the NBA, but he will be on-site at the Finals doing pre and post work for SportsCenter. And it sounds like he’s already clamoring for the camera to find him.

“People would look at me and they’d go, ‘Who the hell does he think he is? He’s walking in like one of the players.’ And I want to tell all my listeners and viewers out there, they got it all wrong,” Smith insisted. “I couldn’t shine these guys shoes as a player. That is not why the camera was on me. The camera was on me because years ago, the NBA instituted a dress code. And unlike a lot of these players, I’m somebody that upgraded and followed the rules.”

Former commissioner David Stern instituted a dress code in 2005 as a response to the infamous Malice at the Palace incident, mandating players wear business attire to and from games. The dress code didn’t apply to Smith, but apparently, he was still inspired by Stern’s mandate. The players were less inspired, and the dress code was eventually loosened in 2020, but Smith still abides by it, and he’s pleading for others to follow suit.

“When I’m at the games rocking my wardrobe, I just want you all to know I’ve upgraded the wardrobe,” Smith warned. “And what I’ve tried to tell people, the camera wasn’t on me because I look like one of the players. The camera was on me because I was one of, if not the best dressed dude in the building.

“I’m trying to inspire these players. Damnit, you got enough money. Upgrade your damn wardrobe! Stop looking like ragamuffins. And I practice what I preach. So when you see me at the Finals, be prepared to say, ‘Damnnnn, Stephen A. looking tight right now.’ That’s all I’m trying to say. With my clothes on! I ain’t talking about with my clothes off.”

Smith went on a similar rant earlier this year, urging LeBron James to level up his attire after Pat Riley said he would like to see coaches get back to wearing suits. Now Smith is trying to be a trendsetter with his own suit game for the players. Although, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and others probably aren’t rushing to be more like Stephen A. Smith.

He might not have as big of a role on ESPN’s coverage of the Finals as he has in recent years, but Smith still wants the same face time. And if the camera finds him at any point during the NBA Finals, just know it’s because Stephen A. Smith thinks he has the best suit in the building.