It's shit boy. I'm back in the house in my studio. We got NBA finals to talk about. We've got anti immigration issues rating Los Angeles unintended by the way, we got senators being removed from press conferences forcibly. All of that is going on, and I didn't even bring up He Diddy, Steven A. Smith Show's in the house. Let's go.
What's up? Everybody. Welcome to the latest edition of The Step and A Smith Show, coming at you as I love to do at the very least three times a week over the digital airwas or YouTube and of course iHeartRadio. As always, I like to take a moment to pause and thank my subscribers and followers for supporting the show.
The millions of downloads we've received courtesy of iHeartRadio over the last few months has been greatly appreciated, and especially the one point twenty four million plus subscribers we now have over the digital airwaves of YouTube. Can't thank you all for the love and support enough. Obviously, I wouldn't be here unless you wanted me here, so I completely
appreciate the support. I thank you on behalf of my team from the bottom of my heart, and as always, I ask you to keep the support coming, and I'm gonna keep on coming. To continue to like and follow the show, just click the bell to get notified of all of our newest content, and you too shall be
the latest member of the Steve Nismith's your family. And while you're doing that, please make sure to pick up a copy of my New York Times best selling book, Straight Shooter, a Memoir of second Chances and First Takes, now in paperback. Just go straight shoot to book dot com to get yourself a copy. Once to get in that straight, shoot to book dot com to get yourself a copy. Now, let's talk about the latest on the federal ice raids and the subsequent protests happening around the country.
The flashpoint happened in Los Angeles, California, when overnight curfew was lifted at nine a m. Eastern. The curfew covered about one square mile in downtown LA with a protest against ice raids and troop deployments in the city had been constant traded. Similar protests took place in other cities, including in New York, Seattle, Chicago, Austin, Texas, Las Vegas,
and of course, the nation's capital, Washington, DC. Meanwhile, three Democratic governors defended the state's immigration enforcement policies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today. Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker, Minnesota governor and former Democratic Vice presidential nominee Tim Wallas, and New York Governor Cathy Hochel testified at what the committee describes as quote a hearing with sanctuary state governors.
End quote, and check this out. This was the scene in Los Angeles just this afternoon as Homeland Security Secretary Christy Nome was speaking about the raids and protests. That's Democratic Senator Alex Badia of California, who was confronted by security and forcibly removed from that press conference. Badia spoke out during nomes initial remarks to reporters and attempted to shout questions at the secretary. The senator was shoved out of the room, taken to the ground, and handcuffed. End quote.
You see, ladies and gentlemen, you see that right there. That's why they've been talking about Steven Nate Smith being a candidate for president the United States. That's why you should be looking at Governor Wes Moore of Maryland. You should be looking at Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania. You know the people that don't engage in this kind of nonsense. You talking about propping yourself up. It's all nonsense. It's
all used as a tool to divide us. On one hand, we have the President of the United States focusing our attention on illegal immigration and really highlighting it to the umph degree to make himself look good. Because you can't point to the terrorists right now. You can't necessarily point to the economy right now. You can't you can't look at the war in Ukraine with Russia. You can't point
to that right now. You can't point to doge in what they're doing because Elon Musk and you have had your little tiff over the last week, week and a half. So you can't point to that right now. So what's a winning hand to play. It's this, it's immigration, it's migrants, it's those who are undocumented or here illegally. That's a winning hand and that's what he's doing. So you got that side. And on another side here you have this
Senator alex Badia. Can Christy Noan speak? Could you have waited till she finished to ask your questions to shout your questions. You are a senator, right, you couldn't wait? So that was just you out of control because you were just losing it. Hup. You are United States senator. Couldn't compose yourself and let the head of Homeland Security finish her thoughts before you ask the question? Could do that? Hah? Couldn't do it? Hah? I know you got an explanation
for it. I know you got an explanation for it. And then fairness to you, because that's what we do here. Oh to Stephen A. Smize, I'm gonna be fit of you by making sure that people hear what you have to say. Go ahead, Senator alexbda, go ahead, let's hear you.
If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, If this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they're doing to farm workers, to cooks, to daily abords out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country. We will hold this administration accountable.
Really, how are you gonna do that? Unless you win at the post? How are you gonna do that I'm all is take your time away. Hey, you gonna do that, because I don't see how it's gonna happen. Senator Alex ver did did you recognize that you sound a bit similar to a couple of other people. Let's take it to consideration. California Governor Gavin Newsom, according to a Wall Street Journal, reading from an article right here, hitting all of the greatest resistance hits Democracy is under assault before
our eyes. Authoritarian regimes begin by targeting people who are at least able to defend themselves, who are at least able to defend themselves. He's assaulting the First Amendment. He's taking a wrecking ball to our founding father's historic project. This is what Gavin Newsom was saying about the Trump administration. Then that sounds similar to you, sounds similar to me. I'm just looking at certain things like this, and I'm
saying to myself, where's that gonna get you? Because at the end of the day, when you bring up the fact that you don't like what Trump is doing, and you're coming to the defense of migrants of immigrants. While it's admirable from a humanitarian perspective, all of us as human beings as God fearing individuals. We don't want to see anybody suffering the way some of these migrants have been suffering. Make no mistake about that. This is not
what that's about. This is about playing a winning hand, or creating a winning hand, or incorporating a winning formula. Are you doing that? Senate? Up a deal? Are you doing that? Governor Newsom? Because this ain't a winning argument. The polls showed that. I don't want to hear anything about how there's no mandate with Trump. He didn't win
fifty percent of the vote. You didn't either. He won a popular vote, he won electoral college vote, he won every swing state, He increased his votes with young voters, black voters, Hispanic voters. Facts. It was an indictment against you as a party. And what has happened since that time. Now he's gotten into office and you're raising Holy hell because he's engaging in a level of extremism. To my degree, I feel this way. I don't like what I see
Trump doing in Los Angeles at all. You heard Kevin Fraser come on the show just the other day and point out how overblown some things are right now, how this conspicuous presence that's been placed on the city of Los Angeles, where you got four members of the National Guard, four thousand members of the National Guard, and at least seven hundred members of the United States Marines protecting federal property, etc. Is all of that necessary? It does seem a bit extreme.
But if you're a politician and you're trying to play a winning hand, if there's nobody in the streets throwing stuff at you, if there's nobody in the streets spewing hatred at you and being a bit belligerent, what would they have to show for the canvas? What would they have to show? And you, as a Democratic party, you have to remember what the backdrop of all of this is law and order from Trump, because they didn't appear to be law and order when Biden was in office.
Open borders, you set nothing. Migrants coming through the streets of America, you set nothing. We got medical in Los Angeles paying over a billion dollars for migrants, but don't have some don't have enough for Los Angeleans who are born right here in the United States of America. What argument do you think is going to win? No one with since believes that President Trump is totally right. This
is not about right and wrong with him. This is about him knowing he has the benefit of the doubt on his side because of what you did over for big over four years when he was out of office. If you were Gavin Newsom, as the Wall Street Journal alluded to, you know what you could have done to alleviate this. Since you want to take the Trump administration to court and say that he had no business federalizing the National Guard, you could have caught the National Guard.
You could have made sure that law enforcement throughout the city of Los Angeles had a very strong, vibrant, conspicuous presence where there. It might have alleviated the possibility of him calling in, meaning Trump calling in the National Guards in the Marines. You could have done that, but you didn't, And because you didn't, you gave him the opening to do it. Because it makes you look like you're weak on on crime, you're weak on lawlessness, you're weak on borders,
all the things that got him elected. You're playing into his hand. And not only did you do it, Governor news Now sen it up a deer did it because we all know you could have waited for her to finish speaking now, I will say this, they had no business putting cuffs on Senate a pidea escorting him out of the room, even forcibly was within bounds. The Secretary for Homeland Security was speaking, you let her finish, You don't want to let her finish, then hey, they definitely
should have removed you from the room. That is it. They didn't need to put you on the ground. They didn't need to handcuff you. All they needed to do was keep you out of the room. You are a United States senator, very disrespectful, comes across as authoritarian President Trump, crossing the line without question, without question. But they didn't arrest them. They did let him go, and within minutes he was outside holding his own press conference. That is
Senate up a deal. So let's take that into consideration. Now that I've said what I had to say about the Democrats, who I think I'm playing right in the Trump's hands and looking like absolute fools doing so. That doesn't absolve the Republicans, especially the number one member of the GOP these days, that is the forty seventh President of the United States. I want to race everybody out there listening. I almost caught a heart attack when I heard President Trump say what I'm about to show you.
He said, play that tape. Please. We have a great country and we're going to keep it that way.
And when it comes to Los Angeles or other cities, if we see other cities are gearing up, and these people are agitators, they're paid, they're professionals, they're insurrectionists, their troublemakers, they are all of those things.
But uh, I believe they're paid.
And we're going to find out through Pambondi and her great staff, her great people, and justice who they are.
Oh no, you did it, No, you did it. Is that President Trump that just called somebody insurrectionists? People who are protested in the streets, dare I say looters, people that are defacing property with graffiti and stuff like that. You called them insurrectionists. But those folks that stormed the US capital in twenty twenty one, bulldozing through barricades and capital security, they were insurrectionists. But you're calling these folks directionists.
Really really? January sixth, defendants pardoned by Trump, over one thousand and five hundred of them were hardened by Trump. Where video is everywhere of them storming the United States Capital, going into chambers, sitting behind the desk of Nancy Pelosi, chanting killed former Vice President Mike Pince. One woman was shot by Secret Service. There were a couple of people who died. And you call these folks in Los Angeles insurrectionists,
see ladies and gentlemen. This is what I meant by when I said, this is what the politicians have done to us, not all of them. There's good on both sides, there's bad on both sides. But this is what the nation's capital, the elected officials legislating and holding purview over our country, has done to us. They serve to divide us.
They're not about bringing us together. They're about keeping us divided so we can butt heads with one another, create and then live in the chaos we do create while they chill up on Capitol Hill having dominion over our lives. This is why these parties need to be purged. This is why there needs to be a cleansing in the nation's capital. I myself, I'm a fan of Governor Wesmore Maryland. I'm a fan of Jos Shapiro of Pennsylvania. I'm a
fan of Marco Rubio. As crazy as that may sound to some, of you because of what you see him doing as Secretary of State and heading our national security intelligence as well national security Rather, I get it. But seasoned politicians that know how to articulate themselves and are about legislation, are about policies and about laws in our land as opposed to creating chaos is what I'm down for.
Guys like John Kasch, former governor of Ohio, Chris Christi, former governor of New Jersey, not popular with a lot of people, popular with me. Nikki Haley, I would have voted for her. You don't need this chaos. This is exactly what I was afraid of, exactly what I was afraid of. Gavin Newsom clearly believes his strategy is to be antithetical to anything that is Trump by showing his behavior can remen can can emulate Trumps, and other Democrats
are gonna follow suit. Maxine Waters, God bless her. In her eighties, she goes to some event daring federal officials to shoot her. Really, really, that's how we're going to behave. Like I said when I started, no wonder folks have me as a candidate for the presidency of the United States of America not to be clear. I might cut some people out from time to time, ain't no doubt about that. But I would be about bringing people together
and working on compromise. That's the kind of candidate we need, not me, but somebody committed to galvanizing instead of polarizing the way this was going right now, times are only gonna get uglier before they get better, because who's really sincere when they're talking about how we need to get better? I don't see any evidence of it. I just don't coming up. My prediction is not wrong yet. But the Indiana Pacers are now up to one of the NBA Finals.
Are the thunder finished? That's next? Right here on the Steven X. Smith Show on later in and out name the best French fries? That's right, I said it, And guess what I have my thoughts on that too. Do like to eat it from time and time? Truth dude? All right, folks, I need you all to stop what you're doing and listen up. You know I love this
time of year. Right The NBA Finals are in full of fact and with all of zac should jumping off to Stephen A Smith show wants to make sure you take advantage of it all That's why we partnered with Prize Picks, the best place to win cash while watching sports. The app is really easy to use you though. Just pick more or less than a few player stats and you can win up to two thousand times your cash
on a single lineup. Best of All Prospects will give you fifty dollars when you play your first five dollars lineup wanna lose? You'll get fifty bucks for playing. Use promo code say yes and download the app now again. Download the app and use code essays to get fifty dollars instantly after your first five dollars lineup. Prospects, Hey, Hey, run your game. The Indiana Paces took Game three from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Will they even it up for
Game four? Okay, meaning the Thunder? Will they even it up? They better? I'm giving you my picks for Friday night's game, so check it out. First up, will Tyrese Halliburton score more or less than eighteen and a half points. He's on his home turf, he's feeling comfortable, feeling himself, particularly after this performance and game thing. I'm gonna go with more on this particular answer. Next, we'll pass galsi Ikam score more or less than twenty and a half points.
He was aggressive at the start, aggressive when it counted. I think he'll answer the call as well. I think he'll show up. I'm going with more with him as well. Next, Shay Gilges Alexander scores more or less than thirty four points, I'm gonna go with less on this. I think he's gonna get about thirty thirty plus, but I don't know if it's gonna be as much as thirty four because I think that he's gonna need somebody else to step up and show go up and help out. Indiana's bench
played lights out in Game three. They cannot play OKC that way. In Game four of OKC stands to win this game, they're gonna have to show up. Contributions are gonna have to come from elsewhere. I think it will. That's why I'm going with Shay doing less, because others will do more. And finally, will Jaylen Williams score more or less than twenty one and a half points. I'm
going with more on this. So that's more for Tyrese Halliburton, more for Pascal Siakam, less for Shae Butter Shay gilg Just Alexander and more for his back court mate Jalen Williams. Go to Prospects app and check out the Steven A. Smith Show Community play. It's boosted twenty five percent. You heard me go do it? Welcome back to Steven Smiths Show. Now, let's get started with the NBA Finals that shifted to Indeed, where the Pacers now have a two games to one
lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers got a huge boost from their bench when Benedict Matthern dropped that game high twenty seven points. Tyrese Haliburton added twenty two points, eleven assists and nine rebounds, and Pascalsiakam scored twenty one points as well. The Pacers now have a two to one series advantage over the heavily favored Oklahoma City Thunder. I ain't know, I ain't know. It's gonna look like this. Give props where props is due. Pascalsiakam came out aggressive
in Game three, set the tone. TJ McConnell came off the bench, had about three steals, was in everybody's face, dictating pace. He was a professional. Pesss Gotta give him a lot of love. Matthern is underestimated. You look at him coming off the bench, but people forget he started seventy nine He started like forty nine games this year, Okay, And not only did he start that many games this year, he was the third leading scorer on the team. So
the brother could put the ball in the hole. He's got a very, very bright future, make no mistake about it. But if you're talking about the Indiana Pacers, you gotta give love to Tyrese Halliburgen because he nearly had a triple double, he balled out, he played the kind of game he's capable of playing, and all of this stuff that you point out about him. Everybody's been talking about it, and everybody getting on me for creating question marks about it.
I'm getting a discussed, I'm getting disgusted personally, gun getting blamed for some shit I really really didn't do. All right, The fact of the matter is that I don't mean to down the brother because I think he can play. I think he can ball. Just because I don't think he's a superstar doesn't mean that I don't think he's a damn good player. Take her in towards greatness. I mean, I'm not the one that labeled him overrated. That was his contemporaries who were ignorant, by the way, because he's
not overrated, which is something that I said. But evidently he's hard of hearing because as great as he is, or as great as he has the potential to be as a basketball player, he's not a great listener because when he had an opportunity to point out the real culprits spewing that nonsense about him, he wanted to point the finger in a very very familiar place. Listen to Tyrese Halliburton post game after the Pacers beat the Oklahoma said he thunder in Game three on Wednesday night. Check it out.
Most of the time, the talking heads on the major platforms, I couldn't care less, honestly, Like what do they really know about basketball? I mean, at a time like this, I'm not really on social media as much, but you know, you see it, and you know ESPN might be on in my house and there it is.
And Tyres Haliburton a couple of things. You do know that Charles Barkley is remember the media, right, So it's Kenny Smith, two time champions. So is Shaquille O'Neal, four time champion, Charles Barkkans all time seventy fifth Anniversary Team Hall of Famer, gold medal, Olympic winner, Jay Williams, ESPN National College Player of the Year, National champion, the Duke, Kendrick Perkins champion with the Boston Celtics, Mark Heath, and
Marcus Morris. Everybody's had comments about you, Okay, none of us would have ones who labeled you overrated. Those were your contemporaries when you played in the NBA Finals, and we pointed out how you shooting thirty three percent for the field and averaging fifteen points a game. Even you said you had to play better, this is an eight percent drop off. You're averaging twenty points a game better
than fifty percent shooting. When you win the playoff games, you're averaging twelve points a game in the thirty percentile shooting when you're losing games, and in my estimation, when you are somebody that is great, when you are somebody that is considered a superstar, that level of inconsistency doesn't necessarily exist. But far being for me to tell you that somebody's been covering the NBA for thirty years far being for me. Maybe you'll respect it if you heard
it from Irvin Magic Johnson himself. Listen up, Please define a superstar.
A person who can go on the road and sell the building.
There we go, that's that's a simple justinis ship. Simple I'm going to see that person, right, So you ain't talking skill on the court. That's it about going to the game.
A superstar gotta say, man, or you're running home from the office and saying, oh, I got to see him on TV. Right, And that's what you Larry Bird people running home, right, Charles bar people running home, Shock, people running home, Kobe, people running home. And then of course the greatest has ever played, Michael Jordan. People going running home to see him, or they're trying their best to get into the arena.
To see that brother play.
That's a superstar who could go on the road and sell the building. Now, of course, a superstar player, superstar player, they gotta lead you to the championship. They gotta lead you to the championship. And it's gotta mean so much to them. It's gotta be painful, it's gotta hurt, you know. And so superstar is a guy who makes his teammates better.
Right, it's not.
Just getting yours, but how do you also inspire the other guys to bring them up to a level that's a superstar to me, That makes an impact on that team, in that locker room, in that city.
You get the picture. Now, You damn sure ain't the first category, but you got a chance to be the second. You win the championship over Shake Gilders, Alexander, the ring in League MVP, who walked into Game three in Indiana averaging thirty six. You take him out in the Oklahoma City thunder. We got to look at you differently. Tyree's Aliburton. You right about that, But for this particular moment of time, there is an absence of consistency, and there certainly isn't
a box office element that is not disrespectful. That's factual. Now, I do understand that certain players who will remain nameless, who happen to be superstars in this league, believe that that's hating on players. We don't do enough to tell your stories. We don't do enough to support and blow y'all up and talk about the positives. I'm sorry, I thought talking about the game was positive. If you have
a game. If you have a game and somebody's talking about how good your game is and comparing it to the greatest who ever played the game, isn't that complimentary? Last time I checked, I thought that was. So let's be very very careful about what we're thinking about when we say some of the things that we say. It's real easy to point the finger at the media or the media doesn't know. The media doesn't know, well, can
we watch? How much does a person need to know to watch you shoot thirty three percent from three point range? To watch you attempt seven shots over the first forty minutes of a game of a game two of an NBA Finals, knowing that you're the engine you're destroyed that
stirs the cup for the Indiana Pacers office. How much expertise is needed to see you be handcuffed, to see you be passive aggressive, to see you have the entire left side of the basketball court wide open in a one on one situation against a defender and don't even look to go in that direction because you run into a crowd of defenders. What level of expertise is needed in order for you to get the picture? We know
you can play, We know you're not a scrub. We know you don't deserve to be overrated like some of your contemporaries do. But please don't fall for the regular old okie doke where you're pointing a finger at the media. Just play your game. The better you play, we'll notice, just like we notice when you don't play, we'll notice when you do. By the way, Oklahoma City's in trouble. They have to win Game four. If the Oklahoma City is done, they do not win Game four, it's a rap.
The Indiana Pacers have changed this series around. You see what Oklahoma City has been doing in the fourth quarter of the two losses, thirty six percent shooting from the field. That ain't gonna cut it. And Indiana's making buckets. I'm telling y'all, Indiana's not losing three straight. They go up three to one. After Friday Night, they are winning the championship. So that makes Game four Friday Night in Indiana. That makes it in Indianapolis, That makes it the game of
the series. I believe who wins Friday Night wins the chip. Whoever loses loses. Remember I said that, Remember I said that I got something to talk about with the Knicks very very important next conversation, but not until I pay some bills. We'll be right back in a minute. All right, everybody, listen up. We're all the big time sports action that's happening each and every day. The Stephen A. Smith Show wants to make sure you are taking advantage of it all.
That's why we partnered with Prize Picks, the best place to win cash while watching sports. The app is really easy to use. To make a lineup, all you have to do is pick more or less on a few player stats. Choose from any of your favorite players Tyrese Haliburd, Shay Gilges, Alexander Pascal Siakam all in the same entry to sit back and watch. The list is really endless. You can play Prospects in over forty states, including California and Texas. Best of all, Prospects will give you fifty
dollars when you play your first five dollar lineup. Wanna lose, You'll get fifty bucks, So just use promo code says and download Prospects Now again. Download the app and use code says to get fifty dollars instantly after your first five dollar lineup. Prospects, Hey, Hey, run your game now, let's get to the New York Knicks and then search for a new head coach, which doesn't appear to be
going well. By the way, the Knicks, who fired Tom Thibodeaux after advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, have been turned down by several teams seeking to speak to their head coach. According to multiple sources, the Mavericks denied the next permission to interview Jason Kidd. The Timberwolves did the same with Chris Finch, The Rockets did the same with Emy Udoka, The Bulls did the same with Billy Donovan,
and the Hawks did the same with Quinn Snyder. So the situation looks disastrous for New York, who fire the head coach that led them to the Eastern Conference finals without a plan. Here's my point, what the hell are you doing calling Quinn Snyder? You let go of Tom Thibodeaux, and your answer to New Yorkers was going to be Quinn Snyder is the next head coach of this franchise. Quinn Snyder, who by the way, knows basketball, who can coach.
I'm not trying to disrespect him in any way. I'm just simply saying, what is he accomplished that's gonna make you say, Okay, it's all right that Tims is going. We got this guy now, because that's what you need to do. When you got a coach that gotted you to back to back fifty plus win seasons or fifty win seasons and took you to within two games of an NBA Finals, you're going to need to have somebody bonafide in order to replace him, wouldn't you say? I'd
say so. Billy Donovan, two top national champion at Florida, respect the hell out of that man. But in Oklahoma City and then now in Chicago, he's not the answer for the New York Knicks at this particular moment in time. He's just he's just not.
So.
I can understand you reaching out to email you Doka, you had no chance tell infatit. They ain't let that man out of that contract with two years left on this deal. He loves them. I understand you reaching out to other coaches adjacent Kidd in Dallas, Mavericks weren't letting him go. Anthony Davis is coming back, Kyrie Evan eventually coming back. We are about they're about to draft Cooper Flag. Okay, no, no, no, the ain't they ain't letting Jason Kidd go not happening.
I'm still wondering why they have it picked or at least interviewed Mike Malone, former coach with the Denver Nuggets, who won a championship just a couple of years ago. What the hell is that about? To not even talk to this man, to not even interview this man knowing that he brings championship credentials to the table. What's up with that? With all of that being said, y'all know where I'm going. I'm waiting for Mark Jackson to get
the call hand down, man. Damn that dude. I'm waiting for a guy that started Bishop Blacklan in Brooklyn, New York, that went to Saint John's University and stood out, they got drafted by the New York Knicks and was Rookie of the Year. I'm talking about that Mark Jackson. I'm talking about Mark Jackson, who was last seen as an outstanding a team member of you know, the a team calling games on the NBA for ESPN and ABC with
Jeff Van Gundy. I'm talking about that Mark Jackson. I'm talking about to Mark Jackson that guided Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and Draymond Green through the early parts of their career that set the table for Steve Curdi capitalized on and ultimately become a champion as a coach. How in God's name does this man Mark Jackson, who's been out of coaching for a decade, not even get a job in over a decade, not even as a lead assistant. How's that happen? I'm really really wondering about that. I
really need to understand that. And so I say all of that to say to you, this guy Mark Jackson, New York would stand up and salute at such a decision without question. He would be embraced by New Yorkers everywhere because we all know he was a damn good coach, and we all knows he deserves the opportunity. He doesn't deserve to be blackball like it appears he's been blackballed. The other name that I would throw out there is
Sam Cassell, lead assistant on the Boston Celtics. It's been an assistant coach in various places, including Philadelphia and now Boston. He's been a bevy of places. He has paid his dues. By the way, He's a two time champion as a player. He knows the game of basketball. He's in your face, he's about holding you accountable. By the way, he also won a championship with Boston if I remember correctly, with KG and the Crew. Sam Cassell is special basketball mind
and incredibly incredibly relatable. The players will get in their face, call them the hell out, and still have them hugging them and saying let's go out to dinner. That's how much love they got for him and respect they have for him. Sam Cassell has the credentials. Mark Jackson or Sam Cassell next head coach for the New York Knicks. Why not? Why not? Because clearly the Knicks don't know what the hell they're doing. Maybe it was Dolan that forced leon Rose to get rid of him, even rid
of Tom Thibodeaux. Even though he wasn't able to force leon Rose to do anything else. He gave leon Rose latitude with everything else. Why would he have a heavy hand when it comes to Thibodeaux. And if the players had something to do with this side, why did Leon Rose have to capitulate to them? Is he not the president of basketball operations? Where was Jalen Brunston going to go when you got his boy Michel Bridges and you got to call Anthony Towns. You got another one of
his boys in Josh Hort. There where was he gonna go? I don't know what the hell's going on with the New York Knicks. I just know that the way they're being talked about now, just a couple of weeks after getting to the conference finals, it's tantamount to how they were being talked about when they were hot garbage, which means that chaos once again has reigned over the New York Knicks franchise, discombobulated all over the place, lacking maturity.
It's got doling written all over it. Hopefully they'll make the right decision with who their next coach is gonna be. But we shall see, we shall see. Coming up, the latest poll is out and America has weighed in on the best French Fries. I'll get into that straight ahead. Plus I respond to your tweets and answer your phone calls as well. It's your boy, Steven. Ain't nobody hiding. I'm right here and I'll be back when you're back in just a moment. Welcome back to Steve the Swiss Show.
Before I get to your tweets, I need you to take a look at the results of these fast food French fry rankings that were just released. The survey was conducted by Seating Masters and results were based on the analysis of more than forty thousand Yelp reviews. According to the analysis, In and Out has the best French fries of any fast food restaurant, scoring a three point eighty six out of five average. As if that result was not shocking enough, McDonald's was left entirely out of the
top ten with a one point eighty six average. KFC ranked dead last, and you can see the rest of the top ten here, including Shake Shack, Bojangles, Chick fil A, and Harty's. First of all McDonald's not being on this list. As of gregious, the French fries are delicious. Okay, they're delicious now if you leave them out long enough and then get soggy and stuff, it is different. But I'm talking about the natural, crunchy French fries. I mean, it don't get much better than McDonald's.
Now.
I'm gonna tell you something right now, most of this stuff I've never tried. I tried bo Jangles once, I ain't feeling it, Freddy's once. Now, shake Shack's got some decent fries. I'll give a credit where credit is due, all right, in and out, Burger sing all right, raising canes. Nope, I never tried it. Zaxby's, RB's, Harty's, Checkers and Rallies. I tried that once. To me, McDonald's should be top five.
I put Chick fil A with number one. I'm a Chick fil A with the fries kind of dude for me, parshally, Chick fil A works for me. Only problem I got with Chick fil A they ain't open on Sundays. Other than that, I always want them. I always want Chick fil A. So I like Chick fil A a lot, and I would say they should be number one, and McDonald's I'm gonna go as far as they they should be top three. I do not blame Burger King for not being on this listens. All their fries are awful
in my opinion, a humble opinion. I just don't like it's no taste to it whatsoever. I can't stand fries from Broke King. The one thing I will also tell you, you know who got some good fries too. Sometimes White Cash, white cass. Now people around laughing at me, people around me laughing at me all the time. They're like, oh God God, because any time they bring up White Castle, they know me. I love my cheeseburgers, my double cheeseburger. It's the greatest laxative ever known to man. It's the
greatest laxative ever known the man. If you gotta go to the bathroom and you want stuff to come out just flowingly, you understand saying you go to White Castle. That's my personal opinion. I mean anything, you know, you're feeling bloated, like stuff is just stuck there, and stuff like that. Oh White Castle, get rid of all that, and it's delicious. I love White Castle. And their fries are good too. But Chick fil A definitely should be number one, and make donald should be top three. But
in and out their fries, they're not bad. They deserved to be in the top five. I ain't got no problem with that. I ain't got no problem with that. Now, let's get to your tweets, all right, before I get to your phone calls, and get the hell up out of here so I can go cover Game four. The NBA finals let's see what tweets you got up here at CFC Accountable Rights. Steven A. Smith, mister Smith, my girlfriend found out about my wife. Huh damn? Let me
rewind that. Okay, my girlfriend found out about my wife, and now she's threatening to ruin my marriage and the lives of my three kids if I don't pay her a monthly fee of hush money. How do I fix this precarious situation without ruining my marriage? Your advice is my only hope. Don't put it on me.
Bro.
There's you. That's you right there. Now, here's the thing that's bugging me out about you. It's usually in reverse. It's usually the wife finding out about the girlfriend she didn't know about, not the girlfriend finding out about the wife she didn't know about. Now, I could be wrong, I'd be outdated. I'm not a woman. I haven't been in y'all situations. But it's usually the other way around from my understanding. So you lined about being married, right
about being married? Here's the thing she's threatening to ruin your marriage. Bro, that's you. You are in danger using your ruining your marriage. You the one that messed us up. You got a wife and three kids. And you're gonna mess around with a girl and don't tell her, and then she comes back at you, and she's letting you know, y'all, I'm good if you pay me off. Usually a woman that's feeling you ain't good at all. She want to your damn world because you've wrecked hers because she don't
have you. Except this girl is saying she's perfectly fine as long as you pay her. So I gotta ask you to see a question, my brother, how much money you got? Somebody gonna ask you. Now, if you're broke ass you know, world trouble. But if you were broke, chances are this girl sounds like she wouldn't have messed with you because she would have known beforehand. She might not have known about the white, but she damn sure
knew whether you had a bank account. So that means that you might be well off enough to pay her a monthly fee. Now, now we have to ask ourself the second question, how much is money? Meaning you? Because if you a hawk for your money, you the type of person that will probably say, hell with that, I ain't paying her. But then she's tell a why And unlike her who wants the money, the wife will definitely get the money because she got not one, not two,
but three kids from your ass. You don't messed up, bro, you don't messed up. I understand you saying my advice is your only hope. The one thing I can give you is hope. Not in this situation. You're in a bad spot. I would say to you, you know, you can sort of couch it, like, you know, spend money on her while doing stuff for her. She's getting the money, but she's also getting you. But that would be encouraging you to continue committing adultery and I can't do that.
That was not very nice. You're gonna have to pay in some way. Bro, You're just gonna have to pay. I'm not talking about the money. You have to pay the price because you did wrong. You shouldn't have done that. Next up at Bob on the rob Right, Stephen A. Smith. I'm in a bit of a sticky situation. My neighbor's delivery was sent to me, but I didn't know at the time, so I opened it up and found a
toy used to experience pleasure. I'm having problems trying to reseal, and I don't want them to know that I saw what was inside? What should I do? Act like you never got it? That's all. They ain't got to know that you got it unless you want to use it, and you don't want to tell them. All I'm saying is you don't have to acknowledge that you received that. Bad boy. I don't know what you're talking about. Let them find it, let them do, let them deal with
that with the damn postal work or something. You know why I say that, because who's going to come right knowing that they bought a toy for their pleasure. Who's gonna walk over to that neighbor and said, I had I was expecting a delivery? Did you see it? Did you see it? And then when you say no, When you say no, right, it's not like they gonna get specific. They ain't gonna get specific because they don't want to tell it themselves. They want telling themselves. So you got
that going for you. I would say, deny, deny, deny, throw it away or keep it for yourself and swear that you never received a delivery because you can't reseal it right, and that would be more embarrassing. So since you opened it by accident, already saw it and you don't want them to know. Just act like you never got it. That's all, that is all, and just roll
with it and whatever they think. They think, but they don't know definitively, and they're certainly not going to want to extend the conversation when they're talking about what they were doing to themselves fear of those toys. You feel me? Try two more to go. Let's see here at what is this? Turvis Scott writes Stephen A. Smith. Rank these rappers Kendrick Lamar, jay Z, Nas, Lil Wayne Damn. This is a tough one. Jay Z's my all time favorite,
so I'm gonna put him number one. Lil Wayne and Nas are legends, and before this year, Kendrick Lamar would have been fourth. But after not like us, after the way he eviscerated Drake, after seeing what he provoked Drake to respond like, and what he has done, I mean, Kendrick Special, Kendrick Special. I just I listened to his song die Hard every day. I love that song. Kendrick is a bad brother, make no mistake, So I'm gonna have to put him up there. I would tell you
as a rapper, NAS's special. But when's the last he's made some music. I would have to put Nas, then Lil Wayne, then Kendrick than jay Z. That's me. And you might say, well, when's the last time jay Z did something? While you're gonna put jay Z ahead of Kendrick, Well, Kendrick performed at the Super Bowl? Who picked him jay Z? Because jay Z is running the Super Bowl halftime entertainment for the National Football League, Because he's jay Z, and
then there's everybody else. That's why I got to put him number one, next one, last one. What you got here at Jenks Hoops right, stephen A Smith? Which team would Kevin Durant benefit more playing for the Spurs or the Wolves? Well, first of all, the Spurs are young. But if you got a healthy Victor Winmbinianna with Castle CP three still there that kind of thing, I would
have to go with the Spurs. But I would tell you I love the notion, the idea of Kevin Durant parent with aunt man Anthony Edwards, because Anthony Edwards needs another bona fide scorer to pay with him, to take some pressure off of him. I mean, okay, so he was playing like a matchup zone, but it looked like a man, the man, they were all over him. It was two guys in the facinity at all times. The minute he put the ball on the floor with six hands coming at him, it was something special to behold.
So I would say to you, it's a little bit different when it comes to him, and I get that part. I just think that KD would be a perfect compliment for most teams, but especially Aunt Man. I like that. That would be my answer to this question. Let me get on out of here in a second, but not before I take your phone calls, because I promised you I was gonna take some phone calls and I definitely want to do that right now. There's some people that wants to talk to me before I get on out
of here. I see the lines are filled up, so let's get right to it. Let's go to Jonathan and Charlotte. You're live with Stephen. Ay, what's up, Jonathan? How are you new?
Ones?
How you doing?
Man?
I'm a right talk to me, Yeah serious, I was calling with the folen's going on right now, sir. For each team, I know the papers one yeah they know, two up and one for the thunder. If who can be the best for the team to get them past the paces right now, between Sta and Tyres Caliburton, who can be the best for the team to get on the trophy.
I don't understand what the hell you're asking, Bro, because you sound all over the place. To be honest with you, I heard Halliburton, I heard as Gash gild Just Alexander between the top.
I'm about between the two who can be the best.
For the team they get to the team.
Yes, sir, good lord, Bro, slow down when you ask questions. I couldn't understand you. Shake gil Just Alexander's the reign in the league. Shake gil Just Alexander is the rann in league. MVP. Shake gil Just Alexander dropped thirty eight and thirty four in the first two games of this series. Up until last night, they dominated seven of the eight
quarters they played against one another. So I look at it from that standpoint, and my answer is gonna be shaped because even though Halliburton can ball, I mean, I know people are a bit sensitive about him at this particular moment in time, But ain't nobody saying he can't ball. Ain'tbody say and he's not a young star on the rise. We know he's missed the clutching in terms of hitting five or five or fifteen seconds left or less in regulation or over time to tie or win a game.
Tyre's Halliburton this postseason is five for five. The rest of the NBA is four twenty six. The brother Special and he deserves credit, but superstar status now, I'm not gonna give him that. I'd give it to Shae. Shave is something to behold man. And when you look at Shay and what he brings to the table, were really really hurt him last night, or rather Wednesday night against against Indiana was that Rick Carlile and the Pacers run the ball even after made shots, so they're pushing the
ball up the court constantly. It was about three or four times Shay was noted to the floor. He just laid there to get rest. That's what he did. That's what we're talking about here, and I think that's what we got to pay attention to. I mean, Halliburton is nice, Halliburton can ball, but he ain't Shay gives us Alexander when all lose. He's not Shay gilgess Alexander. So let's be clear about that. Appreciate the call. Jonathan. Next up,
Mitchell in Virginia. You're live with steven A. What's up, Mitchell?
Hey, stephen A. What a pleasure to speak with you, sir. I hope all as well. I'm a fellow in New Yorker here, an old time Knicks fan. Very disappointed in the next loss to Indiana. Quick question for you, though, in terms of the progression of of of Hallie Burton, did you did.
You see the star.
You know when he first came into the league. Was he signaling like, hey, I'm going to be in elite like an s G A territory.
No, no, no, no, but listen, he can play, but he's a bit awkward or whatever. But he's productive and when he plays well, Indiana Pacers win and when he does it, they don't. And so it just shows his impact on the game on the outcome. But coming into the league, I wanted the Knicks to draft him. I thought they needed a point guard. If you recall they drafted Obi Topping. I wanted them to draft Tyreezse Halliburt and he ended
up going to Sacramento. I wanted them to draft him because I knew the brother could play and I knew he was needed. So you know again, for him to be in the game in the finals, showing himself the way that he has right now and playing under immense pressure and pressure rized situations. I can't say enough about him. Just because I don't think you're a superstar yet doesn't mean that I don't think you can really really ball. And you're very damn good in inching towards greatness, there's
no question about it. And he's got that clutch gene, he's got ice in his veins, he's not scared. All of those things are contributing components to him ultimately being recognized as a great, great player. But listen, within the next week or so, it may not matter because he may be crowned a champion, and we all know that's the ultimate title to have. So that's what I would tell you on that I got to get on out of here. I appreciated Mitchell thinking you so much. Let's
go to Kyle in Oklahoma City. You're live with steven A. What's up, Kyle?
Talk to me, steven A.
What's up?
Man?
How are you? You know?
I'm good. I hope before I get started, I hope that the town and the people Okay see treated you. Well, while you were here.
They did. The hospitality was off the charte. Nothing compared to the love they show for big perk Ken Perkins though, Oh my lord, they gave you the key to the city. They I mean, he could run for mayor and they vote for him. It's unbelievable.
Well, you're you're probably you're probably number two in that book. I'll tell you, man, it's it's been. It's been crazy here in Okay. See you know, the town, the state of Oklahoma just with with us thunder what they've done. But today's been kind of rough. We're all kind of in morning right now. Not to say that it's over, but last night, last night was hard. How do we how do we get back on track for Game four tomorrow nights not.
Playing with urgency, by understanding your season is on the line, by understanding this is no longer a joking. You're no longer deemed a prohibited favorite. These guys have taken it. It came back from a fifteen point deficit with a little over nine minutes left in Game one to beat you, and then last night they ran away from the game and they beat you. You gotta answer the call a championship is on the line. You gotta stand up and answer to what people are saying. There is no question
about that. You have to do that. This is what the Oklahoma City Thunder have to do. Collectively. They've been the best defense in basketball. They have the league MVP. They've been the number one seed over the last two regular seasons. They advanced. You knocked off Nakola jokicch you knocked off John morand you knocked off ant Man. But Halliburton's gonna take you out. I mean, think about that.
If you're Oklahoma City, that should be your attitude. Halliburton can ball, Pascal Siakam can ball, no question about it. Nie Smith, them hard turn up. They all candball. TJ McConnell, Matthern, they all could ball, especially that damn TJ mcca. Oh my lord, him coming off the bench being the little energize a bunny, who could you know, just wreaking havoc steals, you know, pestering, dictating pace. Can't say enough about TJ McConnell.
But here's the bottom line. Oklahoma City is still considered the better team. That means you got to show up and answer the call. And you know, what this is reminded me of. This reminded me of when the Detroit Pistons ram Rod at Kobe and Shaq and the Los Angeles Lakers. That's what this is reminded me of. They were supposed to be the better team, but they ran into a buzz sor in Detroit. Led by the great
coach Larry Brown. They had Rashie Wallace, Big Ben Wallace, tays Sean Prince along with Chauncey Billips and Rip Hamilton, and the Lakers couldn't do anything with them because they were the better team they played together. Oklahoma City may be the best team in terms of what you collectively see them as, but Indiana is playing better, or at least they did in Game three. Oklahoma City has to win Game four, otherwise they're going to lose the championship.
They cannot overcome a three to one deficit. I don't believe it. I don't believe they're going to do that. They have to win Friday night and we'll see if they do. Let's go to one more call before I get on out of here. Please, Jackson in Illinois, you're live with Steven A. What's up, Jackson? How are you.
Hey, I'm pretty good, Stephen.
How are you?
I'm all right? Thank you for calling go ahead.
Uh So, I have a question for you about Aaron Rodgers. Obviously, you know, very very interesting guy off the field, but I just want to talk about what he does on the field. I don't want you to tell me what maybe Pittsburgh Steelers fans should be expecting from them stat wise, at least this season, assuming he doesn't get hurt, and assuming that the wide receiver corps we have right now is the one we're entering the season with and going all the way through with.
I believe that Aaron Rodgers will throw for at least four thousand yards.
Okay, Okay, I can get down.
I believe that he'll throw for any from twenty five to thirty touchdowns. He'll have about nine to ten interceptions.
You know, I don't know if I quite agree on the interception number, but I can get down with almost everything else. I kind of if we're comparing him to like another fringe top ten quarterback that we always look at. It are you are still a San Jackson, oh big Jealers fan?
All right, Well, let me tell you something you understand that you should be happy no matter what.
Right, Oh, absolutely, because.
We walked into a quarterback room. We were contemplating walking into a quarterback room, okay with with I mean, who the hell was it, Skyla Thompson, Okay, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. Nah, I can't have that. We desperately needed AMMONA. Rodgers. So the fact that we have him is a beautiful,
beautiful thing. I'm not mad about it one bit. And I think he's a bad man, a git so he has not been that, but I believe he will return to that stature this season because he has to in order for the Stealers to be relevant and ultimately win their first playoff games is twenty sixteen. That's what I'm holding on too.
Absolutely, absolutely, most quarterbacks look terrible in a gesture the anyways, It's true.
All right, Jackson got to get on out of here. I appreciate it, man. Thank you so much, ladies and gentlemen. That is it for this edition of The Stephen A. Smith Show. Hope you enjoyed it. I'll be back with you after the weekend is out. Game five in Oklahoma City will be Monday night. Happy Father's Day to everybody out there by the way. You know what I saying this Sunday. I mean, Dad's the most underappreciated people on
the planet as far as I'm concerned. That doesn't mean our children will love us, doesn't mean that just means that everybody loves Mama's more well. Sunday is our day. Happy Father's Day to all the great fathers out there in the world. I ain't talking to the dead beats. I ain't got no love for y'all. Oh excused to be a deadbeat dad, But all the loving father's out there Happy Father's Day. Know that there are people out there who truly appreciate and love you for all you
do and all you are. Until next time, Stephen, They signing off place of love.