Full Show: LeBron James Caught on Hot Mic Recounting Heated Incident with Stephen A. Smith. Nephew Josh is back with receipts.

one 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 winna lose, You'll get fifty bucks for playing. Use promo code sas and download the app now again. Download the app and use code says to get fifty dollars instantly after your first five dollars lineup Prospects, Hey, run your game today. I'll give you my picks for tonight's game between my beloved New

York Nicks and of course the Sacramento Kinks. So let's get to it. First. Up, we'll call Anthony Town score more or less than twenty six and a half points for the Knicks. I'm going with more because there's no Jalen Brunson. He's one of your top two offensive options. He's in the lineup brunts and is app and as a result, the Knicks are gonna have to rely on

him more. Because Sacramento can't put up points, the New York Knicks is gonna have to score points to win this game, which means they're gonna have to go to Carl Anthony Towns often. He's gonna score more than twenty six and a half points unless he's resembling a construction worker and he's laying bricks. That's the only way he's not scoring more than twenty six and a half points in this particular game. Next up, will the New York Knicks Michel Bridges score more or less than eighteen points?

I'm going with more as well, because he's gonna have free reign to shoot the ball. He's got a little accuracy to him. He's gonna score some points. I think he's gonna score more in this game against Sacramento as well. Needless to say, we gotta get the Sacramento Kings guard slash forward DeMar DeRozan. Will he score more or less

than twenty three and a half points. Mister mid range himself, who is an offensive firehouse when he wants to be going up against the New York Knicks team whose defense is suspect to say the least, I definitely think he's gonna score more than twenty three and a half points. And finally, will the Sacramento King Zach Levine scored more or less than twenty two and a half points. Boy do I hope this brother comes back in the slam

dunk contest. He'll put on the shelf. But for now he's going against my New York Knicks, and I think again, because of the New York Knicks suspect defense, particularly against three point shooters, and he can hit some threes, I definitely see him scoring more than twenty two and a half points as well. So that's it. More for Karl Anthony Towns, more for mikel Bridges, more for DeMar Deroza, and more for Zach Levine. It's more and more and

more and more. We love that word when it comes to prospects because when we think more, we're talking about money in our pockets. Sent the NFL news percolating over the weekend, and of course a couple of thrilling NBA games that I certainly am going to touch on because it can manipulate standings and playoff seedings in the NBA Playoffs. I'll get into all of that, but that's after I address more of mister Lebron James and what we got into. I had a week in the sleep on some things.

I got a lot of shit on my mind. Steven A. Smith Show in the house. Let's go.

should fans want to see? I'll get into all of that a little bit later after starting off with where I really want to start up, which is with a follow up of what happened last Thursday. Night in Los Angeles when Lebron James confronted me about his son Bronnie. I spoke about it last Friday on First Take and right here on this podcast as well, and obviously that made a lot of news because he approached me surprisingly and what have you in It took off from there.

Just to remind everybody of what transpired. I was sitting quarts at I was a guest of Ari Emmanuel for William Morris Endeavor, their agency that represents me, one of the agency that represents me, of course, and he was with Larry David, the actor and producer from Curb Your Enthusiasm. We were all sitting together. I was standing up. It was the third quarter out of a time out. Lebron James rolled over on me and basically started speaking to me, getting in my face about stop effing with my son.

That's myf and son. Stop effing with my son. And that was about the size of it. He didn't give me much of a chance to speak to respond. You heard me last week allude to this on several occasions where I said that wasn't a basketball player approaching me, that was a father. That was a father protecting his son. And that I understood it. It's a few days later my position has not changed in that regard. I do

understand that, I truly truly do. But what I said at that particular moment in time, which was this past Friday, was that had I had an opportunity to speak to Lebron if the environment was conducive to that, not in the middle of a game, standing on the sideline, where my only recourse would be to make a scene by retaliating while a national audience was watching on TNT sitting courtside just a few feet away from the Lakers bench. I was not going to do that. Ladies and gentlemen,

forget the fact, or should it wait? Maybe we should have shouldn't forget the fact. That's up to you. But it was on the day where I was all over the news because news had percolated that I had reached the new contract extension with ESPN. It was that day.

But that's neither here nor there. When that stuff happened, what I was going to say to Lebron James, which would have clearly made the situation worse, is what I said on national television Friday morning, when I spoke about it on first take on ESPN and in the aftermath right here on the stephen A. Smith Show, over the digital areas of YouTube, and of course iHeart Radio. I said that when I brought up Bronnie James and I was speaking about him the incident that clearly infuriated Lebron

James so much. I wasn't talking about doubt about Bronie Jamsames. I was talking about you, Lebron James. And what threw me off was that Lebron James kept saying, stop shitting on my stun. That's my f and son. That's my f and Stun. Stopped shitting on my son. And that bothered me all week and long because I was trying to figure out when was I shitting on his son.

And that's why I decided to come back and revisit this today, because something happened over the week and that seemed fairly innocuous to you all, but not to me. And I want you to see this clip right here and to see what they're saying. This is Lebron James talking to my ESPN and ABC colleague Richard Jefferson, his

former teammate. They won a championship together in Cleveland Richard Jefferson now works for ESPN and ABC calling games, and Lebron was speaking to him prior to the game against Boston in Boston on Saturday night, and I would like you all to take a look at this and to see what they're saying. Lebron said to Richard Jefferson, take a look. So y'all saw that. So he was saying that what set him off is me saying, I'm pleading

with you as a father, ladies and gentlemen. He's alluding to what I said on January twenty ninth, first on Take but now on here on this show. To stephen A. Smith Show the same day, I addressed the topics on both platforms. Here's what I said on the stephen A. Smith Show. Play this place with Lebron, the best of intentions, wonderful father by all accounts. I'm not casting any aspersions on him. I'm saying, that's your son, bro. You know the game of basketball. He ain't ready yet. Why put

him in that position? You had your moment being on the court with him. Now that kid's gotta go earn his stripes, which I believe he will do. Watching him in the G League can't do this, can't continue to let us see what we've been seeing. And I'm wrong. I'm questioning him as a father because I'm saying, YO, wrap your arms around him and say not now, not just yet. That's questioning somebody's fatherhood. There you have it.

That's what Lebron James was talking about. And on first take that morning, I was saying, I'm pleading with Lebron James, stop it, stop this. Yet the Lebron James that approached me said I was shitting on his son. I'm perplexed at the moment because I don't believe I've ever done that. Had he said you shitting on me and you talking about me as a father, I would have known exactly what he was talking about, and maybe his best in the moment that I didn't recall all that that I didn't.

I couldn't decipher what he was saying because I might have said what I was tempted to say, I was talking about you. We sit here more than a month later. I stand by what I said, just like I said on television Friday. Why do I stand on what I said? Why do I stand by what I said? Because it's important that all of you know the back history as it pertains to me. Now we're gonna get a little deep. When Bronnie James was in high school, I never went

to see him play on purpose. I hinted that potentially going over to Sierra Canyon and watching him play, but I never went. And when I spoke about it on the air, I said, the kid, from what I'm being told,

has potential. But we all know how great his father is, and we all know what a figure his father is, not just as a player, but in some people's eyes, as an activist, and in some people's eyes, you know, in a variety of other ways that can serve to not just galvanize, but polarize certain communities in this country.

Folks are looking for an excuse. If I walk into an arena because I'm stephen A and to watch a basketball player that is the son of lebron James, I know that from the moment I depart from there, everyone wants to critique about his game, and I did not want to do that. So I never want and watched him play in high school out of respect and deference to the James family. He goes to college, he suffers the heart ailment I mean, my god, is scared to

live in hell out of us. When we all heard the news that for a couple of seconds he wasn't responsive, You're like, oh my god, we hope he's okay. And I said, to recover from that, you can't judge him on what you see his first year in college because he's not one hundred percent healthy. That's not fair to him, because he's Lebron James son, and you're inviting additional scrutiny. So I never went to USC. I'm out here in

LA all the time. I'm here now. I've had opportunities to go to USC to watch Bronnie James play, but I didn't think it would be fair to him and toil Lebron James, so I never went. I never went.

Denny's entering the draft instead of staying in school, and when he decided to enter the draft and you had people speculating about what he wasn't it was a colleague of mine by the name of Kendrick Perkins, who went on national television as a former All American with Lebron James in the two thousand and three All American class, if I remember correctly, who said in front of the cameras on the record, We've never seen a fourteen year old be named the McDonald's All American, bringing it to

question of legitimacy of Brownie James being an All American. I didn't touch it. He gets drafted. But even while he's got drafted, we were told Golden State might have been interested, Phoenix might have been interested, The Clippers were interested. Boston might have benished it, but were dissuaded from grabbing him because Lebron James and Rich Paul and Clutch Sports and those guys that made it very, very clear he's going to be a Laker, and they honored those wishes.

We didn't say anything about that opening night farther than Son King, Griffy Junior King, Griffy Senior attendance US who covered the league knows that people were gonna question the merit, which means that the league would be reluctant to embrace this, that the Lakers, the most story franchised in basketball anamals outside of the Boss the Celtics would be reluctant to embrace it, but everybody did, and so did the media.

So did I. I was in attendance. I was standing up and I was clapping just like everybody else when he entered the game. And then ultimately the games were played, and all I said was he's doing great in the G League, but on this level, he's not ready yet. For a variety of reasons, don't do this. Why did I say, as a father, if it were a Kenyon Martin and his son, I wouldn't have said that. If it were a Carmelo Anthony and his son, I would

not have said that. If it was a glam Big Dog Robinson and his son, I would not have said that. If it was Rick Barry and one of his sons, I would not have said that. I would not have said that about any of those folks because none of those folks had made headlines promoting their child to be in the NBA as a player or a star in the league. This son just came in there. Tim hard Wait, let me not forget him, Senior and Jr. That didn't happen.

Those dudes played and performed and positioned themselves to be in that situation. That wasn't the case here. So for those including Lebron, that were caught up in me saying as a father, I'm saying as a father, you said, I want to play with my son in the NBA. You said, I don't care if you want me draft Brunnie. At this point, it's not about the money. I don't care where it is. I'll play there. I just want

to have a year with my son. It was you that said, despite high school, despite the heart ailment, he's better than some of the players in the league. So when I was saying, as a dad, don't do it, I was just talking about Bronnie the player. I was talking about the dad saying the things that he was saying. That was only adding pressure to the sun. That's what I was doing. So I've never, ever, ever been about

being critical of Bronnie. I've gone out of my way being who I am in the position that I am in to avoid even critiquing him for years out of respect for the James family. Rich Paul knows that Adam Meddilson knows that Maverick Carter knows that opposing agents and players, former and president, who would ask me why I wouldn't do it, know my posient. It was on the record, there clips of it on first take. That was my position. So when he said to me, stop shitting on my son.

I'm like, what you talking about? But then something happened. Something happened, and the light bulb hit my ear and that was him with Richard Jefferson. I'll get to that in a second, but after a word from Prize Picks a light everybody, listen up with all the big time sports action that's happening each and every day, The Stephen N. Smith Show wants to make sure you are taking advantage of it all. That's why we've partnered with the Prize Picks,

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five dollars lineup. Wanna lose, You'll get fifty bucks. Just use promo code say Yes and download Prospects right now. Again. Download the app and use code essays to get fifty dollars instantly after your first five dollars, lineup prospects, run your game. Lebron James with Richard Jefferson. You saw the video. So when he sat up there and said, when I'm talking as a dad, right right, that's the only thing.

That's the only thing I'm tripping. I don't give an f Once he talks about you, as I plead as a father, I can't. I can't. So it wasn't about Bronnie. It was about him. Those are his words. Once he said as a father, that was about him, which was my point. January twenty ninth, It's been about you. I don't want to have a critical word about Brownie James at this stage of his career. And I completely agree with Lebron's agent and the head of Clutchports, Rich Paul.

We don't always agree. A matter of fact, most of the time we don't agree at all, but we talk and I respect the hell out of them. And he made very valid points. And I want to emphasize Rich's just class. And I got a lot of love for rich because he's just He's decent at his core, and he's gonna call you and talk to you man the man. He would have never did what lebron James did Thursday night. He never would have done that. But that's neither here nor there. But Rich Paul made a point that Bronni

should be contextualized and presented better. I agree with him on that there's plenty of dudes in the NBA and who have been in the NBA over the years, that have been drafted in the second round who struggle initially before getting their bearings under them and ultimately elevating their level of play. He is absolutely right. The reason why it's different for Bronnie as opposed to others is because

he's Lebron james Son. The nil deals, the four year, eight million dollar contract, all of these other things that come with it that doesn't happen for the average fifty fifth pick overall in the second round of an NBA draft. The fact of the matter is is that there's plenty of dudes that have coming in the second round and it takes them a couple of years in some cases longer to get their bearings under them. He is absolutely right. But having said all of that, that again buffers my point.

It was never about Bronnie. I wouldn't do that to a kid. It was about his dad, and it wasn't about his dad even wanting him in the NBA. It's the things he said and the things he maneuvering and manipulated in order to get his son to wear the same uniform as him which brought that attention. And the reason why I'm bringing that up is because I want to get into a conversation about me because of how some folks have been attacking me over this but using this as an excuse to accuse me of hating on

the Brothers. I'm sick of that shit. I'm not backing up from that anymore. I'm not taking it from people anymore. I'm not just a black man, I'm a brother. I'm not gonna take this shit from people anymore. I'm going on Gilbert Arenas's podcast tomorrow, Gil's Arena with Rashan mccams with Kenyan, Martin, Swaggy, p Nick Young and the crew. I can't wait. I can't wait for that conversation. I'm

not taking this shit no more from people. I've had it with this because it's insid it like this that people try to piggyback off of and they try to use it as an excuse to talk about me hating on brothers. Me the brother who is the ambassador for HBCU week that's generated millions in scholarship for thousands of kids. Me who's helped diversify ESPN with the opportunities as executive producer of First Take Black Folks, men and women, women, period, white as well. Any Minardi you can find me, Me

who has worked in this business for thirty years. Think about what I know, Think about what I've seen, Think about how much incriminating stuff that I could say, Think about how many incriminating facts I have. And I'm talking about the game, but literally, these brothers act like if this were boxing and a black dude knocked another black dude out, and I talked about the black dude that got knocked out. It's black on black crime. But the brother that knocked him out, You're just gonna ignore the

praise I gave him. Davontae Davis fights Lemon Roach last week. It was a majority draw because he took a knee. If the reford counted that Davonte Davis should have lost the fight. Me saying that means I'm hating on a brother. What the hell does this world come to? But this is the stuff that I'm being subjected to. I'm not taking it anymore. I'm not taking it anymore. I see players I ain't even mention their name is right now, I got plenty of time to do that. But Lebron

is one of them. A week before he confronted me, remember he said, watching somebody be the face of the league. Where all these dudes do is go on there on the air in the mornings and shop on players. He was talking about me. Why because I got you number two all time. I think Lebron James is the greatest player in the history of man outside of Michael Jordan's.

I don't have him as number one. Great father, great husband, great actor, great businessman, great family man, great philanthropists, great producer. What haven't I said? Four time champion, four time league MVP, all time leader scorer in NBA history right now, shot fire, first ballot Hall of Famer? What have I not said? Come on, man, But they've been talking these players, some of them, not most, not all, but a few. You know what they've been trying to do. Right in my opinion.

What they've been trying to do is accuse me of selling out for the purposes of making it difficult for me to walk the streets as a black man amongst my people's treating me like I'm not down, And I got to come on here on a public platform and speak about the challenges and the trials and tribulations that I have had to endure to help us just because I'm critiquing your game, and too many of y'all have

allowed them to get away with it. That's the real story here, because Lebron told Richard Jefferson, and by virtue of doing that, told all of y'all it wasn't about his son. It's about him, because I said, as a father, but you're gonna forget the quote you gave you. Don't forget how you were bloviating the bottom. You're gonna forget the fact that I said before he ever played the game. Don't do that because you're bringing more attention on him,

which means he's gonna be more heavily scrutinized. And then you're gonna get mad at us for pointing out what you were saying. But we forget that, We forget that maybe, just maybe y'all tired of listening to me. I got somebody I want you to listen to instead of me, just for a couple of minutes. Right after you hear this, This message is brought to you by color Guard, a non invasive colon cancer screening test. So I want to

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can occur. Color God is available by prescription only. Welcome back Ryan Clark from the pivot toward y'all. I needed y'all to hears from somebody for a couple of minutes. Right, Well, guess what he weighed on the incident? Now, Ryan Clark does Monday Night Football for ESPN, does first take, does get up? It's my brother, that's my dog. Love him to death. You understanding. He disagrees with me from time

to time, but it's rare. That's my man. He has a son who played defensive back for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Listen to what Ryan Clauke had to say today on the Pivot podcast about this very incident we're talking about. Listen up.

I agree with this. Bronnie James for a fifty fifth overall pick for a guy who's played well in the G League and been on the bench and got you know, some minutes in the NBA, he is more negatively critiqued and analyzed than any player who would be picked in that position that does the job the way that he does it. But he's also praised more. He's also been drafted in the place that his resume probably didn't say he should have been drafted in. He's also benefited in

nil when he only averaged four points a game. He has marketing and commercials and publicity and followings and get paid away from the court more than mac McClung, who then led the G League in scoring and won the Dunk Contest three times. Because you're Lebron James's son, So what does it do.

a sudden, we can't talk about him either. Now, imagine if LeVar Ball runs up on steven A. Imagine if Ti Murrant runs up on steven A. How classless we would say they are, how immature we would say they are Lebron James is a father doing the same thing for a professional basketball player, and I get it.

Lebron James, more than any athlete I've ever seen, has shown a poise and composure when people are talking about him negatively like I've never seen. He's truly been an example to every athlete in the world. Who's harshly critiqued to his son. What you've told your son is even though I wasn't above reproach, even though no athlete that's ever played the game was above criticism, you are. And I showed you that by checking somebody because I felt

like they talked about you. And that's to me where you got to separate father and you got to separate teammate. Because now, if I'm Bronnie James, I know my dad loves me right, but I hope because Lebron James a great dad that he asks, Bronnie.

part going on that Ryan brought up. He didn't run up wouldn't run up on somebody like skip whatever, And I'm good with that. I want to make sure that folks understand something and I will never forget it. Years ago, Mike Tyson was saying this, and he was doing it during an interview with ESPN's Jeremy Shapp, and Jeremy Shapp

asked him, I don't forget. I don't recall the wording of the question, but he asked him essentially about how he might roll up on certain reporters or how he feels about them, particular if they're black compared to white, and Mike Tyson said, now you are who you are. He said, it's just that with you, pointing to the brother,

he said, you should know better. And the reason that I bring that up is that one of the things that's almost never talked about is the expectations, particularly from reporters who are black, that you know, we're supposed to know better. Perhaps that's the case, but when do we get to do our jobs When you look at today's modern athlete and they want to call folks sellouts. And this is the only reason I'm bringing up the racial element is because cats come at us and they like

Stephen a or somebodydos always shitting on the Brothers. I'm on the air two hours a day, ten hours a week live. That's just for First Take. It doesn't include Sports Center, it doesn't include NBA Countdown, it doesn't include frequent appearances on Get Up, it doesn't include this podcast. It doesn't include the inordinate amount of appearances that I make throughout the year beyond the world of sports. You can make a legitimate case that I am on the

air more than anyone in this country. You can make that argument. I can speak ninety five ninety eight percent of the times positively. The crime is not that two to five percent of the times I might speak negatively that you have a problem with it. It's that these folks today have been allowed to use that two to five percent of the time to accuse me of hating and selling out my own to the point where it's supposed to be difficult for me to do my job.

I'm not gonna let that happen. I'm not gonna let that happen. I'm gonna call it like I see it. There's gonna be compassion involved, there's gonna be tendencies of humanity involved. It's gonna be all of that. But the one thing you can rest assured is I'm gonna always do my job. And when it came to this particular incident with Lebron James, as I see him talking and talking and talking, the one thing that I asked Rich Paul,

for give me grace on this one thing. Rich If Lebron said to you he is irate, he has pissed, he wants to see Stephen a face to face man the man. And you picked up the phone, Rich and you called me and you said, Lebron James wants to see me. What would I have said, Rich Paul said, you would have hanged You would have hung up the phone and you would have been on the next flight to la That is exactly true. That is exactly true. But Lebron James didn't do that because he didn't want to,

because we don't have a relationship. Because I'm not about calling it like he wants me to see it. I'm about calling it like I see it. That is the way that I have been, That is the way that I am, and that is the way that I'm always going to be. This image of him tiring over me and oh, Steven aay is shook or whatever? What was he gonna do? Ladies and gentleman hit me while I'm standing courtside with the national cameras rolling. That wasn't gonna happen.

I was taken aback by this notion that I was quote unquote shitting on his son. I didn't know such thing. I didn't know such thing, and I wouldn't because I'm the one that's been on the record stating for years that brother, that young brother's got a uphill climb, not just because he's Lebron james son, but because of the position Lebron James put him in by talking the way that he talked. Nobody else other than LeVar Ball was seen as a parent talking like that about their son's potential.

But Lonzo was at UCLA as a starting point guard who was projected to be a top five lottery pick that ended up going number two overall to the Los Angeles Lakers. There's a difference between that and what Bronnie James was walking into. And it's one thing for the greatness of Lebron James to make it tough. It's another thing entirely for his talking about Bronnie James to make it tougher. That's the only reason why I said as

a father. Had he not said that or any of those things and his son just came into the league, I never would have said that. I said it because he said, as a dad, I want to play with my son in the NBA. He said, I think my son is better than some of the votes in the NBA. Right now, and go back and watch the tapes, you'll see me saying please don't do this. No no, no, no no, before he ever arrived, I said, because they're

gonna hold onto these quotes, which they did. And in the end, all those people who were saying this stuff get to walk inside and outside the Crypto dot Com Arena, whatever other rena Lebron James is in. I show up and I'm the when that gets confronted for simply echoing what many many people were saying, not about Bronnie, about Lebron. But as the saying goes, I guess that's the price

of being stephen A. I accepted. I've paid it, and I'm gonna pay it again and again and again, not just with Lebron James, but with anybody that comes down the pike. Be respectful, be humane, don't be disrespectful, don't overstep lines. But within the confines of my job, call it like I see it and believe it is. That is what I get paid to do. That is what

I will always do. And if that means in the process Lebron and I never ever ever speak to one another again in life, I'm good with it totally, as I'm sure he is. Coming up. The Celtics versus the Thunder for the title? What the Cavaliers versus Lebron James and the Lakers in the NBA Finals? Which matchup? Should fans want to see? That? And a couple of other

options I got for you up next. But first, the Stealers traded for DK Metcalfs, So now what are they gonna do at the quarterback position to keep up with the rest of the AFC North. We'll get into all of that next right here on the Stephen eight Smith Show. Don't go away, Welcome back to Steven Nate Smith Show. Let's get into the NFL free agent signing period that began today right well, A number of agreements for stars to remain with the teams over the week, and some

of them you can see right here. But I want to address three moves in particular that caught my attention. We'll be getting Pittsburgh, where the Stillers traded for wide out DK Metcalf and agreed to a five year, one hundred and fifty million dollar extension. Metcalf will presumably be paid with fellow wide out George Pickens, who's eligible for an extension this offseason as he enters the last year of his rookie deal. Now the question is who'll be

throwing them to football. Russell Wilson on Aaron Rodgers. Both could be viable options for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I would tell you, if you gotta choose between the two ladies and gentlemen, you choose Russell Wilson. I'm not saying he's better than Aaron Rodgers, because I still think Aaron Rodgers, even though he's not that bad man that he used to be, the brother through twenty eight touchdowns, just eleven and the septions passed with daarly four thousand yards with

the New York just last year. Yes, they did lose six games, six fourth quarter leads, No doubt about that. Seven to one score games, no doubt about that. Aaron Rodgers can ball. I understand who he is, what he brings to the table. Here's the flip side. Russell Wilson

plays few years with DK Metcalf. There's a familiarity there from their days in Seattle, and because of that, I think that goes a long way towards the Pittsburgh Steelers deciding to keep Russell Wilson in tot Now, he's gonna cost a pretty penny, and that's where it could be a bit problematic, because he's gonna want his money so as a market value to be anywhere from thirty seven to forty million for all we know, if not more. And I don't know if the Steelers should pay that. Okay,

but you know what, what choice do you have. I mean, if it's really about the money, then you go get Aaron Rodgers. But if the money is not an issue, then you keep Russell Wilson because DK Metcalf and Russell Wilson have a history with one another. Right now, let's get to Buffalo, where Josh Allen got paid again. The Bills and Allen agreed to a six year, three hundred and thirty million dollar extension for the reigning league MVP.

The deal includes two hundred and fifty million dollars guaranteed to Allen, making it the largest guaranteed total ever given to an NFL player, surpassing the two hundred and thirty million of Browns guaranteed to quarterback due Sean Watson a few years ago. The extension takes Allen from the fourteenth highest average quarterback salary to todd for second at fifty

five million dollars a year. Only Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has the highest average annual salary at sixty million dollars a year, which is all you need to know to justify Joe Josh Allen's money. How to hell is Dak Prescott get paid more than him? How the hell is Dak Prescott still a highest made quarterback at football in terms of league average per year? Because remember five six years, three hundred and thirty million, that's an average

of fifty five million of the year. Same as Trevor Lawrence, same as Joe Burrow. Okay, same as same as those guys, along with Jordan Love. But if you are Dak Prescott, you're sixty million dollars. The Dallas Cowboys with two player victories in ten years. It's paying his brother sixty million dollars annually, largest salary in the NFL. But here's what I do like, Josh Allen, hundred and fifty million guarantee, you the league MVP, You've been to a couple of

AFC Championship games. Guess what you deserve that kind of paper. Okay, it's the highest in the league. Shouldn't be Dak Prescott's two hundred and thirty one million guarantee. I know Dak Prescott can play. I know he's no scrub. I'm not saying the brother doesn't get to deserve to get paid. I'm saying somebody who has achieved so little in the postseason shouldn't have more a higher annual salary or more

a guaranteed dollars than anybody else. So the fact that Josh Allen has now eclipsed him, I'm happy about that. I'm happy about that. Let me move on to Cleveland because this is where things get a bit hilarious, because listen, when you think about Cleveland and what has happened between them and Miles Garrett, Miles Garrett and the Browns. That is, after the team made in the highest paid non quarterback

in the league. Let me tell you this, y'all. You might recall that Garrett wanted out of Cleveland last month by saying, quote, I had to say this show to y'all, this quotter, I that show y'all's quote. While I've loved calling Cleveland my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won't allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland the Canton. It has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl. End quot end quote. Guess what, ladies and gentlemen.

That came to an end on Sunday when the Browns gave him a record four year extension four hundred and twenty three and a half million dollars. The deal averages forty million dollars a year and includes a no trade clause. By the way, Garrett previously mentioned that he did not want to endure another rebuild with the Browns, who are coming off a three and fourteen season and hold the

number two overall pick in this year's draft. Now, my man dan Oloski on the ESPN pointed out luck they either got a quarterback coming in or they gonna use the number two pick or somebody like Shador Sanders or cam Ward. So the future's right either way you slice it. If you had gone out and got Sam Donald, that ain't the answer. If you had brought in an agent Aaron Aaron Rodgers, that ain't the answer. If you draft Shadors Sanders or cam Ward, that's not the immediate answer.

Rich makes Miles Garrett position kind of phony. Now, I ain't hating on the brother. He deserves every penny. He deserves every penny. The Brother's no joke. Double digit sacks every year since twenty eighteen, only two playoff appearances and one player victory in eight seasons. I get that part. But he's an absolute stud. He's arguably the best defensive player in football. The brother is sensational. There's no credit. Look, he's a mammoth of a man. No shade on him whatsoever.

I'm just throwing shade on this quote about I didn't come to the NFL to get to cancer, and I came to compete for and win the Super Bowl. Can't do that with two playoff appearances in eight years. Do y'all know that the Cleveland Browns have never played in the Super Bowl. Do you know they haven't been in an AFC championship game since nineteen eighty nine. It had been an AFC championship game in thirty six years. It's nineteen eighty nine. It's thirty six years ago, and this

brother is talking about it's not about Canton. It's about compete for and playing in the Super Bowl. But you resigned. See what money does to people. See what money does. It makes the most excruciating situations seem easier to stomach. And in the case of Myles Garrett, that's a big stomach he'll need to have. He's got a lot of money to spend on food. You feel me, Way to go, bro, I am mad at you get your paper. Just say so next time instead of the whole song and dance

about compete for the Super Bowl? Right? Thank you? Coming up the thunder and rolling in the Western Conference and the Cavaliers are running away in the East. But which matchup would you want to see in the NBA Finals. We'll get into all of that. Me and my nephew Josh. He's coming in the house. Can't wait to hear what he has to say. By the way, I know Sam Donald went to Seattle. I know Justin Fields went to the Jets. I don't care. That's why I didn't talk

about that. But I care about my NBA basketball, especially since my nephew Josh is in the house. Hopefully he won't get on my damn nerves. Back with him to close out the show in a minute. What's up, everybody? Stephen A Smith here. Recently we made news because the great Bill O'Reilly announced a tour that's coming nearest to you in the very very near future. Get your tickets now for this. It's called Three Americans Live March thirtieth at Live Nation's Flag Star at the Westbury Music Fair

on Long Island. Don't miss the very first show as myself, Chris Croomo, and yes, that man Bill O'Reilly take our different ideas, I different backgrounds, are different beliefs across the country to demonstrate that were spectful, meaningful and even fun conversation. Those are the things that make America as great as it should be. The show will be spirited, unscripted, and all three of us will let it fly as we discuss the topics everyone is thinking about these days. There'll

also be questions from the audience, we're not running. Tickets are officially on sale now with pre sale code USA at three Americans Live dot Com. VIP packages are available with the opportunity to meet and take photos with myself and both those fellas. That's Three Americans Live March thirtieth at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island. Additional dates and cities to be announced. Don't miss it. Trust me, you'll get a kick out of it. Welcome back to

the Cevna Smith Show. The NBA Playoffs get underway next month, and I want to look ahead to the finals. Okay, but before I do that, if you listen to him, he'll tell you the world has been calling for him, the world has missed him. Everybody's got to see him. Nephew Josh is in the house. Ladies and gentlemen. What's up man? How you doing? Bro? What's going on?

When I get back home. You're gonna disappear. The world is gonna be acting where his nephew, Josh, you're gonna be You're gonna be buried someplace when I get through with your ass. Ooh, I'm gonna get you.

categories you want. Lakers versus Boston Finals, Lakers versus Cleveland Finals, Boston versus OKC, or Cleveland versus is okase, give me one through four, your best your favorite to your least favorite.

and why he's disrespected. It's time for him to come out and show that he could be the face.

the seventeen for the Los Angeles Lakers. The two of them combined to capture thirty five championships. That's forty five percent of the seventy eight championships that have been won in NBA history. See, you don't know this stuff, you young whippersnapper. This is why I'm here for you, Okay, So that would be number two on the list, Number three on the list. Number three on the list would be okay s versus Cleveland because of what we saw during the regular season, all right, And last would be

okay see versus Boston. But I think those last two will both be that would be the last of the four. That'd be the last of four. That's where I'm.

don't have to be there like that. Don't bother me, U. I'mer saying they want me, they want me to They don't, they don't. I'm good, But I'm just telling you this right now. I gotta be there this year because I'm covering the finals for ABC. So of course I'm gonna think about my life. Man, I don't if I don't have to travel to Oklahoma City, why would I want to do that? Why do I want to do that?

I ain't even no direct flights there. Well, since you put the might have to fly in the Dallas to drive three hours.