Full Show: Stephen A. Smith Explains LeBron James Confrontation. Charles Barkley rips ‘idiots’ at ESPN.

support enough. Keep it coming and I'm going to keep on coming. To continue to like and follow the show, just click the bell and get notified for all of our newest content and youtubo shot. Consider yourself the latest member of the stephen A. Smith Show family. And while you're doing that, please don't forget. If you have an opportunity to and you're looking for a really good read, 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. Go to straight shooto book dot com to get yourself a copy. That's once getting that straight shoot Book dot Com to get yourself a copy. I got a lot of things to get into today. Lebron James, some politics, uh Gil's Arena meaning Gilbert Arena's podcast, and some things that Kenyon Mark Kenyon Martin, former NBA player from NBA stud has said about me. So I was one of them days. I gotta tackle a few of those issues. You know, That's what comes

with it, I guess. So I'm here for it. Don't want to be, but I'm here for it. And uh I'll address all of those things. But before I get into any of today's topics, I want to quickly extend the heartfelt thank you to Bob Iger, the CEO of Walt Disney, Jimmy Pataro, chairman of ESPN, co chair of Walt Disney, for the latest news involving me, and that is that I've reached a lengthy contract extension with the worldwide leader ESPN and the wald this family. On a

day like today, you just find yourself incredibly humbled. The years of the years, they're significant. The money obviously is significant. Regardless of what the reports say. They don't know the specifics and I'm not about to tell, but let's just say that I have no reason to be unhappy with the money that I'll be earning and in their future. And it's moments like that that you just take an opportunity to be humbled, recognizing that blessings like this don't

come to everybody, but they've certainly come my way. And because it is I didn't do this alone. There's so many people that I have to think along the way. Of course, mister Barb Bieger, who's a great man and a great executive, and one of my biggest supporters, of course is Dana walden CoA chair of Disney, charge of all of entertainment and beyond. She's a superstar and she's been very supportive. Deborau Oconnells of the world running ABC

News along with other things. Jimmy Pittaro of course running ESPN, Burke Magnus directly under him, of course, my man Dave Roberts as well. The negotiations were too damn long. I

was not happy with the link of the negotiations. I can tell you that it gets very excruciating, and even though people may not feel that way, to get you for the price they want you at and for you to battle for the price you think you deserve, things get said, Feelings get hurt and all of that other stuff, and it can be very excruciating and damn it at times,

it's something certain people can't come back from. But in the end, the deal is done, and particularly in my case, specifically with a baby, Dana Walden and Jimmy Pataro, I

just can't. My gratitude knows no limits. I'm incredibly appreciative to them for the faith that they've shown in me, the belief they have in me as the face of ESPN and one of the preeventent faces of Walt Disney, and I'm just incredibly grateful, and i just want to say thank you to everybody, all my colleagues at ESPN, the contributors on First Take, Molly Carrom, who's the host of First Take, the matriarch of the show, all the producers,

everybody behind the scenes. I'm not gonna go through all the producers, I mean all the contributors because I don't want to forget anybody's name, but they know who they are. On the NFL, on the basketball side, college football, and beyond its just I got a lot of love for a lot of people there and how I've been treated, how I've been supportive by them, Everybody was rooting for me.

Everybody wanted me to get paid. Everybody wanted me to capture what I was after, and on this particular platform, just so I don't have to repeat myself to a bunch of the masters. The money is more than fair, that's undeniable. But it's something very very important that I want people to understand. Anybody tells you it's not about the money, it's probably lying, because it's always about the money until you get at the very least your fear share,

and then it's about other things. And somewhere along the way, I really really hope that some way people learn to believe me and know that I'm not a liar when I say that I aspire to do other things. I said I wanted to talk about pop culture and entertainment. That's what I do. I said that I wanted to talk politics. In case you haven't noticed, that's what I've been doing. I said, I wanted to own my own production company. That's what I'm doing. Hell, I said, I

even wanted to engage in some acting. That's what I'm doing. I mean what I say, and I say what I mean, and this contract has afforded me the luxury of doing things that I was never allowed to do in my career without ESPN's permission. That's no longer a requirement, and that was the biggest thing that took this so long. And now that that's no longer the case, the world is officially my oyster. Because there are so many things that I'm interested in doing outside of the world of sports.

I no longer have to seek permission in order for that to happen, and that is what I've been waiting for. In the midst of all of that, this podcast is not going anywhere. There are other opportunities coming down the pike in very short order that will be announced much sooner than later, and as a result, the future looks incredibly bright. On a day like today, I may look

a bit melancholy, one would say, somewhat exhausted. It's been a long, long road, but I didn't get here alone, and where I'm planning on going, I'm not going to get there alone either. My inner circle knows who they are, They know how much love I have for them and how much faith I place in them. I'm marching on and moving forward, but to do it while it's simultaneously

remaining with ESPN. It's an incredible honor and I just wanted to thank all parties involved and let me i'd be remissing neglecting to pay an incredible level of thanks to the president of William Morris Endeavor, Mark Shapiro, the agency that represents me, my agent, John Rosen, and Visionary Management. He's exceptional. John Rosen is one of the best in the business. He did a hell of a job for me.

And of course a dear friend, like a sister to me, one of the greatest lawyers on the planet Earth, the one and only johnnine Barnes. Y'all don't know them, just know that I know them, and I love the position and their impact in my life for these negotiations, you know. And so I just wanted to say that and leave it at that. We're marching on. We're marching forward. That's

where we are. Before I get into my first subject that I'm going to tackle, a word from prospects Ali, folks, I need you all to stop what you're doing and listen up. UFC three thirteen is bringing the heat this weekend. Get ready for an action packed Saturday. And with all this action going on, the Stephen Eate Smith Show wants to make sure you take advantage of it all. That's why we've partnered with Prize Picks, the best place to win cash while watching sports. The app is easy to use.

Just pick more or less than a few player stats and you could win up to one thousand times your cash on a single lineup. Best of all, Prize Picks will give you fifty dollars when you play your first five dollars lineup. When I lose, you'll get fifty bucks just for playing. Use promo code SAS and download the app now again. Download the app and use code sas to get fifty dollars instantly after your first five dollar

lineup Prize Picks. Run your game today. I'll give you my picks for the three UFC three thirteen main Card events taking place Saturday night at T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, between Jalen tur Turner versus Ignacio Bahamandez Justin Gaichi and Rafia Vintiev and Alex Perea and Magnomed and Khaliev. I believe that is first up with Jaylen Turner, who'll have more or less than forty nine and a half significant strikes. I'm going with less on this one.

I think this is gonna be a short night's work. Probably end up with less, that's the way to go. Next up, Justin Gaigie. Will he have more or less than eighty two and a half significant strikes? I'm nervous about this. I'm a Justin Gai Chee fan, But that knockout he suffered at the hands of Max Holloway, I don't know how any human being recovers for that from something like that, I mean, not the hell out. But he's Justin Gaigie and he's put plenty of people to

sleep his own self. So I'm gonna go with that in this particular situation. And I'm gonna go with more for Justin Gaichee. And last, but not least finally, Alex Barrera. Will he have more or less than sixty four and a half significant strikes? I'm going with more. This is Alex Barrell, Okay, might be less because he might knock you out before the sixty third punch. I mean, this brother is something lethal, all right, But I'm gonna go with more because he's just that gifted. So with that

being said, let's go over it again. Less for Jalen Turner, more for Justin Gaechee and more for Alex Perea. We said more more than we said less. That's the way we do it on Prizpects. That's how we roll. Welcome back. Now, let's get to a subject that's apparently gone viral on social media today and it also involves yours truly. Last night, I was in attendance at the Knicks Lakers game or sitting courtside where during a time out I believe it was in the third quarter, I was confronted by none

other than Lebron James himself. Lebron has some choice words for me in regards to comments I've made prior about him in regards to his son, Bronnie James. Before I get any further, let me just put to bed a couple of things that have been reported that are false. People was talking about Lebron called me out my name or somebody else saw. Somebody said he called me a bitch, somebody said he called me a punk, and all this

none of that is true. He was fiery. He approached me during the game and he said, stop effing with my son. That's my fing son. Stop effing with my son. I said, what nah nah nah man, straight up man the man real talk stop effing with my son. And I saw how furious he was, and I said, we can talk about like nah that f that stop effing with my son. That's my son, that's my son. I said, all right, though, fine, and he walked away. That's all he said. I knew what he was talking about. I've

spoken about this before. Matter of fact, I heard that not many, not all, but a few players were upset at me about that. I think one Parrella player in particular was Draymond Green, who I haven't spoken to since and has no desire to speak to me, primarily because of this, I suppose. And I found out the way that I found out, which was last night while I

was at the game. I was a guest of Ari Emmanuel, owner of William Morris, Endeavor found of William Morrison, Deavor rather found of Endeavor, I'm sorry, before they merged with William Morris, and I was a guest of his, sitting at the game with him and Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm. I was sitting courtside and the next thing, you know, out of the blue, Lebron came in my face obviously, since he brought up his son. He was

piggybacking off of what I had said weeks ago. And what I had said weeks ago is that when Bronni and James was struggling, and I threw out some stats and stuff like that, and I said, he's not ready and that I came on this podcast and I reiterated that point. Clearly. It was something that was on Lebron James mind that he was aching to confront me about.

And so it happened the way that it happened. Now, before I get into anything else, let me say that Lebron's agent, who is Rich Paul his boy, has my number, Maverick Carter, who's universally respected and there's a big player in the industry these days. He has my number. It's very easy for Lebron James to have called me. It's very easy for one of them to have called me and to say, Lebron wants to see you, want to talk to you face to face, man, the man. That's

not what happened last night at the Lakers game. Happened. Now, I get and people have said to me today that I'm looking pretty damn sad. I'll fess up, I am, because something like that is not something that should make any of us comfortable. I didn't anticipate it. I don't know why I didn't anticipate it, But I'm not here to blame Lebron James. That wasn't a basketball player talking to me last night. That was a dad. He rolled up on me as a father. That's what he did.

That was not a basketball player talking to me. We talk about Lebron James all the time, practically everybody does. That's not what Lebron James does. So for him to confront me, obviously, it was something that he was incredibly passionate about, put off about, and felt necessary to confront me about. And what better motivation could there be than to be protective of his son. I understand it. I

respect it as a parent. I'm a father two daughters, and in all honesty, I couldn't definitively tell you that if I were Lebron James, I would not have done the same thing. I would hope that I would not have. I would hope that I would have picked up the phone and caught the person instead, or got arranged to see that person to face instead, rather than walking up to me in the middle of a game court side. That was not the end of the game, that was not the beginning game. That was in the middle of

the game that this happened. But that's what happened, and there's really not much you can do about it. I have a lot to say about it, but I wanted to address a couple of things. Number One, because I saw this tweet from Kevin Love he was responding to my tweet. My tweet was I had no intentions of talking about it. And the reason I had no intentions of talking about it is because that's what men do. You handle it privately if you can. I didn't want to address it as I tweeted here. I wouldn't have

either had it not gone viral. But it did go on viral because when I got up, my social media person informed me that it was over fifteen million use and it had gone viral. It was number one. It was the number one sports story going. And regardless of everybody wanting to walk around acting like they don't have bosses, I don't deny the fact that I have bosses. I worked for ESPN, and ESPN called me this morning, said what you mean you ain't talking about it. You most

certainly have to talk about it. This directly involves you and Lebron James is the biggest story in the country right now in sports. There's no way for you to escape it. Talk about it. You got your platform. Do what you gotta do. I said, fine, Well, when I tweeted out to let everybody know that I will be talking about it. Kevin Love, Lebron's former teammate in Cleveland, throws out this tweet. You have no choice laugh out loud because it went viral, laughs out loud. You didn't

want to have to laugh out loud. You wouldn't have. You wouldn't have laugh out loud. Hold that tweet up. Let's go over the list. And I like Kevin Love. I'm very fond of him, right, I have nothing negative to say. I have no choice because of what I just told you about my boss is Kevin, because it went viral. Kevin, which I just explained, I didn't want to.

Why would I want to. I take no pleasure in something like this, And I guess it's the implication that and I wouldn't have, you know, laugh out loud on all of those things. You see stuff like that dilutes the seriousness of the discussion. So let me explain this to Kevin Love in simplest terms. First Take has been the number one morning show for thirteen consecutive years, and on this particular morning, it's the day after I was

in the news for a lucrative contract extent. So if I said that I didn't have any intentions of doing it, I don't have to lie, and I'm not starving for ratings. And respectfully, Kevin, you should know that I mean what I say. I don't have to lie, so I'll just leave it at that. Outside of that, feel free to support your boy. Let me go back to me and

Lebron James. Ladies and gentlemen. Any alluding to Bronnie James in this is either accidental or just a reference point to articulate me and lebron James, because I'm not here to talk about Bronnie James. Bronnie James by all the count as a wonderful kid who went into the G League has been tearing it up and I personally think it's going to be an NBA player. You can't root against Bronnie James. He's a great kid. I've never met

anybody that said otherwise. Okay, and I'm genuinely rooting for him. Having said that, at the time that I was talking about him and his stats in the aftermath of the Philly game, that's when things have gone Haywhy because that's when you start hearing that a few players don't want to talk to you, or folks felt you crossed the line or whatever. Here's what they thought I did that crossed the line by pointing out how he was struggling.

I wasn't really talking about Brandy James that much. He's a rookie and I think that he'll just get better and better at being the NBA. It wasn't really about him. It was about Lebron And the reason why it was about Lebron was because the heat that Bronni was taking and the stories that were going viral. I was making the point he didn't have to be in this predicament.

Three things could have happened. He could have got drafted by Golden State, he could have got drafted by the Boston Celtics, or he could have got drafted like he did by the Lakers. Open night Opening Night, have that moment with his dad, and then go to the G League and wreak havo wreck shot, and then come to the league after a year's experience in the G League.

If any of those things did not happen, one surmised that it was because of Lebron James, in my mind, the second greatest players who have ever played the game of basketball, who was a basketball savant, and if we know that his son would struggling, then he knows. And what I was saying was I was focused on him. It was other people that was focused on Bronnie James. Show that Magic Johnson quote. Please, this is Magic Johnson

at the time, Jimmy Kimmelive, it's September. If I'm Bronnie, I would tell my dad just let me play in the G League all season so that I can develop. He needs playing time. He doesn't need to be sitting on the lake of bench and not playing. That's not a knock against him. He's just not ready. That was irving Magic Johnson. There were other articles that were written as the season was progressing and people were talking and I'm rooting for the kid, and I didn't want anything

too negative to come his way. So I'm looking at Lebron James and saying, right, you had the moment, you don't need this because you remember, it's not just the Lebron's greatness that we're talking about. That can be somewhat burdensome, because when you're a son of arguably the greatest player who has ever lived in a lot of people's eyes, the expectations for you come with that. But it wasn't even just that. It was the quotes that was associated

with Lebron James. It was Lebron James that said his son was better than some NBA players. It was Lebron James that told folks, don't even think about it. You want to draft, you want me draft my son. It ain't even about the money at this point. I'll go wherever he is for one year. It was Lebron that said those things, and so everybody knew that, and as a result, what I was saying was pointing out, Yo, this is what it is, and any kind of trouble he has, they're gonna pounce on him because of the

things his dad said. So but the one thing that I'm thankful for last night is that when I was confronted by Lebron James about this subject, matter. He didn't give me an opportunity to say what I know that I would have said, and that was this. I wasn't talking really about your son. I was talking about you, because you know the league, you know people, you know. Narratives ain't always created by the media. It's created by people the media covers. So you must know what they

were saying at the time. Nobody's been talking about Bronnie now, not for months, but at the time they were. You must know, and I was saying, that's you because of all the things that you did to make things happen in a way that deviated from a relatively merit based situation, which is the National Basketball Association. You're Lebron James. You are underpaid. You are Lebron James. You deserve more money

than you're getting paid. You're Lebron James. Won't give a damn how much money they paid BRONI he could get it, he should get it for you, because, damn it, you should have gotten more because of what you've done for this league. You deserve all of this, but it's not

gonna stop him from getting that heat. And when Lebron came at me the way that he did, if it wasn't on camera, if he didn't instigate something that people are allowed to take viral, if he had spoken to me man the man privately, I still wouldn't have talked about it. I don't violate that trust. I don't have private conversations and then they go public. I don't have people talk to me off the record and then I come on here on the record. Y'all can talk all

of that. Smack all y'all want to whatever y'all nay say, whoever y'all nay says, are But I got thirty years in this business. My track record is proven. I don't betray trust. I don't do that. If I have a conversation with you, it's between us. That's the way it's going down. And if Lebron had done that, y'all still wouldn't know about this conversation, which obviously has people speculating because of the savant that he is and how brilliant of a marketer he is. Some would say a manipulator

and all this other stuff. They swear he knew exactly what he was doing, he knew the cameras were rolling, he knew that somebody would find him. It was a nationally televised game. It's Lebron James and he's rolling up to stephen A. Smith courtside. He had to know, That's what others are thinking. I'm not thinking about that. I'm thinking about the fact that I'm incredibly sad that it

had to happen. I'm incredibly sad that a father was looking in my face vehemently and defiantly hostily telling me to stop effing with his son when I was talking about him. That makes me sad, It really does. But let me tell you why I'm most sad because I wasn't wrong. I stand by what I reported. I stand by what I said at that time. What I expressed months ago is what I felt, which leads us to a far more expansive conversation, albeit a short one, Ladies

and gentlemen. I'm a professional journalist turned commentator pundit. There's a whole bunch of people with podcasts and shows out there who talk about the NBA. I covered the NBA. There's a difference and a position that I'm in. I don't get paid to talk to folks, I get paid to talk about them. I don't want any enemies. My life is good God has blessed me. I've been very blessed and fortunate. But I'm not here to make friends either.

I have a job to do. See. The difference between this show and typical shows is that people do those shows hoping to get paid. I get paid to do those shows. It's different for me because there's years of work in the industry that preceded it. I've got people calling me Lebron shton that came up to you like that. Nah, that's wrong. It's very your professional. No, he knows better. This is what forget all that he did what he felt he needed to do for himself and his family.

I have to respect that. It just doesn't make him right about the fact. The fact is Lebron James is a professional basketball player. So is his son. Lebron James is a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, so is his son. Lebron James has to get critiqued at the discretion of the media covering him play basketball, so does his son. He's a professional. This is not a conversation about family matters. This is not a conversation about what's going on in somebody's bedroom or somebody's backyard. This is

not a conversation about what's going on. Secretly, this was me talking about the game of basketball. Under no circumstances do I want to throw any negativity in the way of Lebron James family and friends. I know a lot of them, all wonderful, and I sincerely apologize for any kind of pain or angst I caused them, not Lebron. Lebron is a part of the job and by virtue of these decisions that he made, so are his teammates,

one of them happening to be his son. Now I understand that that RB was a lot of people the wrong way. Okay, when I think about somebody like Draymond Green, and I've kept my mouth shut about this for a while, but without getting into too many details, Draymond Green has felt the need to go to other people to say how he's felt about how he feels about me, and

I got mad love for Draymond. Draymond is a good brother that quite frankly, I've always tried to be good too, and this shift and his feelings about me, I got it. But I'm gonna get to a bigger level. You see. One of the reasons that I had so many great relationships in a world of sports over the years is because if Kats had a problem, they caught me. Silly me.

I'm thinking that if you get along with people and you talk with them, if they have an issue with you, at least they'd call you and confront you, man the man before something's resolved. I'm talking about Draymond here, I'm not talking about Lebron. The reason I'm not talking about Lebron is because, excuse my language, Lebron and I don't really fuck with each other. It's been primarily been high and by for more than a decade, and I'm fine with it, and so is she, and so is he. Okay,

but that wasn't the relationship with me and Draymond. That wasn't the relationship with me and quite a few cats. And one of the biggest reasons that I loved the kind of relationship that we had is because I always got the impression, Yo, if they got an issue with you, they'll call you. You talk it as men, and if you disagree, you part ways. Even if you part ways not speaking one another, or you can be agreeable, or you can agree to disagree. It could be a boatload

of things. But the blind sidedness of it all is what throws me off, because you see, if I got a problem with somebody, I'm not hard to find. You called me, I'm gonna pick up the phone. You want to come, you want to see me, I'm gonna rap to you, and we can hash it out and we'll reach a resolution, or we don't. That's not what's happening, and so it is what it is. You know. I'm sorry it had to be that way. I'm sorry the

look of it all. But I was sitting courtside, mind of my damn business, watching my next try to beat the Lakers. I didn't know that the greatest player of this generation was gonna walk in my face the way that he did. But that's what happened. So I get it. I understand it, and I wanted to defend Lebron on this point. That was a dad talking to me. That was not some basketball player that was just pissed off.

That was a father, And I'm sensitive to that because I'm a dad, and if I had a son and I felt like somebody have brought negativity to their world, I can't say I wouldn't have reacted the way Lebron James did. I don't think I would have, but I don't know. I don't know, but I want to emphasize I wasn't really concerned about Bronnie. I think Brianni's gonna be an NBA player. I think he's got potential, and what he was doing in the G League, I think

he's got a lot of promise. And I just interviewed Genie bus right on this podcast. She was raving about him, and they wanted him to be a part of the Lakers organization for a long time. That's where it starts. I get it. I'm root for this kid. I wish him nothing but the best. My issue was with what he is going through. Nobody best knows how to alleviate the problem at the time, and nobody had the power at the time as well to alleviate it, more so

than Lebron James. And I was simply suggesting that he alleviate that problem. I didn't know what would be taken as I'm coming after his son, because that is not what I was doing. That is not the intent that I wanted to put out there. So I get it. I'm sorry. I'm also sorry that this all had to happen on a day my new contract extension was announced. But it is what it is, So that's all I can say about that. That's all I have to say about that. Lebron's entitled to his feelings, but I'm also

entitled to mine. I cover the sport. I did not get personal. I talk about players every day. I talk about teams every day. I talk about organizations every day. I talk about news items every day. I talk about it all. It's my job and that's what I did. Coming up, Elon Musk wants Derek Chauvin, the police officer convicted and the murder of George Floyd, remember him. Elon Musk wants this man pardoned. But first, Lebron James is

the only person who has a problem with me. Former NBA star Kenyon Martin has some choice words for you, boy as well. HiT's just keep on coming, huh. I can take it more to stephen A. Smith Show up next. All right, everybody listen up with 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've partnered with the 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 Luka, Doncic, Jimmy Butler, and Zach Lavine all in the same entry, then sit back and watch. The list is absolutely endless. You can play Prizepects in over forty states, including California and Texas. Best of all, Prizepects will give you fifty dollars when you play your first five dollar lineup. Wanna lose, You'll get fifty bucks. Just

use promo code essays and download Prize Pects right now. Again, download the app and use code essays to get fifty dollars instantly after your first five dollar prospects. Run your game. Welcome back to Stephen A. Smith Show. I've been called out again, this time by my boys over at Gil's Arena. I'm playing around. I'm cool with Gilbert. I don't really

know the other two that well. From man gilbert Arena's appeared on My show First Take earlier this week on the ESPN, and Kenyon Martin and company were wondering about a few things, mainly when I'll be on this show as promised. Take a listen to this, please, So what happened to him?

We had some kind of problem with each other because I've always thought you were a stud when you were playing in the n b A. I mean, what the hell you was one of the elite defensive players going on the reason you earned over one hundred million in your career and fort these damn exorbitant contracts were being signed. I don't know what you're talking about with that so I can't wait. My brother, have you seen the news?

I said, I have business to handle. My negotiations took a lengthy, lengthy, lengthy period of time, and I did not want to come on to the show, as I had told Gilbert until matters were resolved. The matter is now resolved. I have numerous people who have wanted me to come on their podcast, and I have told them weight because I gotta do Gil's arena first with you, with Rashard Nick with Gil. I don't break my word, bro, I'm coming next week. I'll be calling Gilbert Arenas tonight

or tomorrow. I'm gonna find out what the schedule is, and I'm trying to come on sometime next week. Wednesday and Thursday. I gotta tape General Hospital. That take General Hospital, brother, do my soap opera thing. You know what I'm saying. I got tape those I got taped some scenes. Okay, So the likelihood of me doing it one of those days is slim because that's late late night. If I was able to do it, because I got tape stuff for General Hospital, and we got Friday NBA stuff Saturday.

So I'm gonna find a way. I will be calling Gil just like I text him yesterday and let him know I'm coming on. Okay, so literally the next week to ten days, Max, I'm coming. I'm trying to come this week because I got a lot of stuff to do down line. But I got to keep my word. I don't mind you calling me out on that because I did promise. But I told you I was busy. I just didn't tell you why. I had to get all of this stuff done, which I've done. So now that that is done, the world can expect to see

me in the house. And you remember what Kenya Martin said, Oh, we'll make time. You got to put the kids to bed, all this stuf. We don't give it down with it late night, early whatever. We'll make time for him. Absolutely, I'm making time for you two. I'm coming on Gill's arena for no other reason more so than the fact that I gave you my word. I will be there. I'm aiming for next week. Just so we're clear, okay, just so you know, so ain't no hiccups, there's no questions,

there's no anything, just so you know. Just wanted to make sure everybody know that. But Kenya mart was right from the standpoint when he come in here, when you come If I was in Kenya, Martin sy I'd have ask the same damn question. He was not wrong. If I was in Richard mcanty, I would ask the same damn question. They have a right, especially since Gil showed up on first take. That is more than fair. I'm

just letting you know I was waiting. Contract was agreed to twenty four hours ago, and I'm about to call Gil let him coming on. So I just want you to know that, all right, I'll be there, Make no mistake, I'll be there. Next subject, gonna give back to some sports media talk where Charles Barkley's taking exception to the amount of time ESPN spend's talking about the Lakers, the Warriors, and the Jordan versus Lebron debate. Here's what Barkley had

to say on Inside the NBA last night. Check this out, y'all. The Lakers are having a great two weeks. Kendrick Perkins said, the Lakers saved the NBA season. That's all them fools on the other network, which we're going to be working for next year, that's all they talk about. Let me tell y'all something I want all the smoke between that

and this lame ass Lebron Michael Jordan debate. I've said for years, the only people who talk about Lebron and Michael it's people on television who got no talent to talk about anything else. End quote. First of all, couple of things. My man Kendrick Perkins was pretty upset at the way Charles Barkley was talking about him. Kendrick stopped. Charles Barkley talks about everybody like this. If you get around Barkley for more than twenty four hours, he's gonna

call you a fool or an idiot about something. That's number one, He means no harm. There's only one person in media, Charles Barkley hates it. We all know who that is. Okay, you used to work at ESPN, anyone over the five. Everybody knows who he is, Okay. Charles Barkley can't stand skipped Bagler's that's it. That's the only person outside of that. Everybody else he just says, you know, you're idiot, You're fool. If he don't like something you

did in the moment, that's all it is. Charles Barkley is one of the best people you could ever meet in your life. He's a beautiful person. He don't got an evil bone in his body. That's not who he is. Okay, so that's number one. Number two, Charles Barkley is on television knowing't television is something he leaves to Ernie as in the Great Ernie Johnson chs Waker, Ain't got time for that. Why do I bring that up? Because subject matters as a pretends to what you're talking about on television.

You ever heard of Nielsen ratings. People pay attention to the stuff that they want to pay attention to. They turn the channel when you talk about stuff they don't care to hear about. I got news for TNT right now, Charles Barkley. Spend ten to fifteen minutes talking about Oklahoma City, the number one team in the West. Spend the same amount of time talking about the Cleveland Cavaliers, and then

take a look at your ratings. If you ain't mentioned in Boston, ain't mentioned in New York, you ain't mentioned in LA you ain't mentioned in Lebron. You ain't mentioning Steph. You're not mentioning Jimmy Butler with Steph. You're not mentioning Luka doncik with Lebron, you're not doing any of those things. Watch Wig get you ratings matter, I would know. I've been blessed and fortunate enough to win at them for the last thirteen years now. I'm not an Emmy Award

winning show like Inside the NBA. But once again, Ernie handles a lot of that stuff. Those guys know their basketball and they come on to talk basketball. But in terms of the subject matters to be tackled, you pay attention to what resonates with the audience and also what

games you're featuring. Charles Barkley is the same person that says, literally working for the network, I don't know why the hell anybody will watch this game if it's a particular game he's discussed by, I don't know why anybody would pay attention to this subject that subject because he's talking, so everybody just relaxed. That's not who Charles Barkley is. But to get to a deeper point, when he brings up ESPN, ESPN is a twenty four to seven network.

We ain't playing NBA games, airing NBA games and airing a half hour pregame show and then an hour long postgame show. And then before and after you got Law and Order episodes. That's not what we do at ESPN. We are twenty four to seven Sports network. So you're gonna find yourself talking about things, even regurgitating things, getting into stuff, talking about things, giving people ideas about narratives and all of that stuff. Why because the kind of

thing people think about it happens. And by the way, while Charles Barkley was going off and calling us fools at ESPN, he acknowledged that he was about to be a fool because they're about to be over here. And what you think Charles Barkey gonna be doing and what kind of narratives you think he's gonna be creating. Charles Walker ain't never created any narrative. Charles Walker ain't never opened his mouth and said yo, blah blah blah. And that ended up being a story the next day, didn't

Charles Barkley? You thought I got called out by Lebron? Did you see what Lebron did with Charles Barkley years ago? And Charles Barkley had to address it by saying he wasn't gonna get personal. It happens. How many people in shock got into it with it happens. It all contributes the great television, and the best part about it is that it's not manufactured. It's what really our people are thinking about and talking about and what's on their collective minds.

It just so happens to be manufactured in a good television. Where's the crime? Barkley's gonna go off about that. He was disgusted that Big Perk said the Lakers have saved the NBA. I didn't agree with perks take, but it wasn't like it should be summarily dismissed. You're trying to tell me that Luka Dancik being in the second largest market in the United States playing for maybe the second arguably the greatest sports franchise in NBA history, in the

Los Angeles Lakers. You're trying to tell me that's not a good angle. You're trying to tell me that Luca and the Lakers potentially making a championship run isn't a relevant storyline. Is that what you're trying to tell tell me, of course it is. Of course it matters, that's how it goes. Now, that doesn't mean Cleveland is not a great story. It doesn't mean Oklahoma City is not a great story. Let me tell you something, right now, Oklahoma and Cleveland in the regular season maybe has been the

best game of the year. That was a phenomenal game, and if they were to meet each other in the NBA Finals, it would be phenomenal. But you're trying to tell me people don't want that, or people do want that more than they want Boston versus La. How about LA going up against Cleveland, when Lebron going up against his old franchise in an effort to try and capture an NBA championship, which would give him five, which would tie him with Kobe Bryant, which would make people say

there's nothing to discuss. Because he won a championship at the age of forty, he is officially the goat over Michael Jordan. You're trying to tell me that nobody would care about those storylines. Maybe Barkley would say they don't, but that's because he does television as opposed to actually knowing it, meaning knowing what storylines resonate on a day to day. Basically, I'm not taking a shot of them.

I'm just telling you the brothers preoccupied. It's got golf's got gambles, got a whole bunch of stuff that he loves to do. He lives his best life. So my brother, I love Charles Barkley, love him to death. And guess what, it wouldn't surprised me at all. If tomorrow on TV I'm the idiot, or Tuesday or whenever he's back on, because he ain't working every day. That's not what he does. And he'll tell you the heartbeat, that fool. And I'll laugh because I love him, because I know he means

no harm. He's just expressing an opinion. Everybody need to calm down. Everybody needs to calm down. Coming up, a conservative commentator calls for the police officer who killed George Floyd to be pardoned, and Elon Musk writes that it's something to consider that. And you saw what happened when Trump addressed both houses of Congress. It's past Tuesday, didn't you. I know? I saw it all in that and more

coming up next. You're listening to the Steven A. Smith Show right here over the digital It was a YouTube and I hire radio back for more 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 Crolomo, and yes that man Bill O'Reilly take our different ideas, I different backgrounds, are different beliefs across the country to demonstrate their respectful, 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

Steph Nate Smith Show. I want to get into the comments made by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro who publicly call for President Trump to part and former Minneapolis Police officer officer Derek Chauvin for the twenty twenty murder of mister George Floyd. For those of you who didn't hear the sound, I'll play it for you. Tike a listen.

federal charges. There is a man who was rotting in prison because the media decided in the middle of twenty twenty that they were going to turn a tragic law enforcement stop that ended with the death of a man had a significant problem with drugs and pre existing health problems into the rai'sal debt of the entire twenty twenty election,

and it led to vast chaos. It led to again the destruction of racial comedy in the United states to billion dollars in property amage and a guy rotting in prison who the evidence demonstrates certainly was not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in that case.

I mean, why why wiggle around it? Why don't you just say it? Why don't you just say it? Elon Musk? What the hell do you mean? There's something to think about, Ben Shapiro, Of all the people in the world that you could have asked for a pardon four of all

the people in the world, Ben Shapiro. Derek shov is the guy, a white police officer who cuffed George Floyd, took his knee, put it on his neck, kept it there for over nine minutes as George Floyd was crying and whimpering for his mama, as people were taking photos and video, as he was telling you he couldn't breathe, and you still kept your knee on his neck for

over nine minutes. And of all the people, being Shapiro, that you could have come up with to say he should receive a part, and that's the person that came to your mind. Why I'll ask you another question, Ben Shapiro. You know you brought up you know, drug use, you

brought up a criminal record. If I remember correctly, I think that's what you said, right right, right right, Ben Shapiro, This simple question, respectfully, sir, would you have taken that position of George Floyd was a Jewish person, a white Jewish person. If a black cop.

the Supreme Court. He's been handed down executive orders as handed out executive orders like bags of skittles. He's got a whole lot going for him. The Republicans are in a position where all you have to do is live up to what you say, Donald Trump, Remember you said in twenty to fifteen, why do you have to lose?

Remember that? Remember you talked about the black vote, the Hispanic vote, and how you would do for other communities outside of white nationalists and other white folks who's not a member of white nationalist parties and stuff like that. Remember that, Remember that, didn't your numbers increase with blacks, didn't your numbers increase with Latinos? Didn't your numbers increased with the young voters? Think about what you got to do, Republicans.

All you got to do address the economy, dress inflation, address the border, address deportation, by the way, because you got to get those folks out that were in here as well, and how you're gonna do that. Address crimes in the streets of America. Make sure folks got jobs, make sure folks are safe. It's all you got to do. Here's a few other things that you gotta do. It's not a laundry list, it's just a few. Avoid saying ridiculous nonsense like Ben Shapiro just said. Avoid making suggestions

like that. Avoid your head of Doze, whose power has dissipated according to reports. By the way, avoid him retweeting stuff like that or reposting stuff like that. What are you gonna learn. Yes, you may want certain things, Yes, you may want your quality of life to be a certain way. This is not a quality of life issue, Ben Shapiro. This is a quality of life issue. Coming to the defense of a cop whose knee was on a black man's neck for over nine minutes, that is

what you want to condone. That is what you want to let out of jail. That is what you want to fall on your sword for. Would you do it if he? Would you do it if a white Jewish person had a knee on their neck for nine and a half minutes and it was a black cop that did it. I mean Damn Ben Shapiro, Damn. See, you could all get politics all day. I've seen you before. You're quite bright, very very smart, and your issues or your issues, whatever they may be. And I get that part.

But to do something like this, to say something, it's the same thing along the lines where you run De Santus by all accounts, prior to him running for the presidency and absolutely fabulous governor in the eyes of some people. Clearly there was a mandate in Florida when he won the midterms. There was no red wave in twenty twenty two, but there was certainly a red wave through Florida, one by landslide. And what does he do. He wants to come out and give an explanation about the good benefits

of slavery. That's what he wanted to do. This is the shit the Republican Party does. That just boggles my mind. Everything's slowing. You got the Democrats on their heels. You got Kamala Harris out of the presidential picture, contemplating running for the governor's seat in California. A decision that's made is expected to be made by the end of the summer.

She is out in a lot of people's eyes. She ain't gonna be a part of the national spotlight in twenty twenty eight, so she's got to go for the governor seat in California if she wants to sustain or build upon her political career. Gavin Newsom's running throwing podcasts now talking to Republicans. Okay, if you can believe that, you got the Democrats showing up for Trump's address to both Houses of Conqress looking like damn fools having videos

with they dancing, You got to be kidding me. Putting twenty two people on the screen at the same time, same man is saying the same damn thing, as if that resident that message is gonna resonate. Got a representative like Al Green out of Texas, seventy seven years old, obviously has fought the good fight, but looking incredibly immature and undisciplined, wouldn't even give Trump a chance to speak,

and he had to get removed from the House. And then yesterday ten Democrats joined with House Republicans to censure Al Green from Texas for his protest during President Trump's addressed the Congress Tuesday night. Trump didn't even have an opportunity to pass gas and this man standing up protesting brothers. What he wasn't the election. I'm on the view and I got a bunch of ladies who I love and I respect coming up to talking to me on the show,

talking about there's no mandate. Courtesy of Joy Bayhart. What mandate? Kamala Harris lost all the swing states. There was an increase with black voters, Latino voters, and young voters.

because he had barely spoken. And then these people holding up their signs, these these democrats looking like damn fools. I felt sad for my brother, Hakeem Jefferies, Minority House leader. He sat there the whole time, But guess what, he didn't act like that. He was probably embarrassed by how they acted like juveniles. Oh, by the way, I forgot to bring up how when Trump talked about the cancer pated the kid that was suffering from cancer and I

made him an honorary member of the Secret Service. Nobody stood up, or how he brought up Lincoln Riley, the twenty two year old who was killed by a migrant and her mother and her sister were in the attendance. They didn't stand up for that. All you did was give the impression anything that Trump favors you're against. Wow. Way to show the American people on the left you're ready to go do your job. Really, the Republicans listen to me as much as I don't want y'all to.

When we got to call balls and strikes here you got the Democrats. Really, I already pointed out how to vote. Highlights divisions within the party over how some members were tested to President's remarks. Some held up signs, others walked out of boycott at the speech all togethers others took a more muted approach under the goddance of House Democratic Leader Leadership Rather, who barely urged members not to mount

high profile protests and courtion them to show restraint. Now, House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffies who I brought up the cline to comment on Greens move on Tuesday. However, speaking to a small group of reporters the next day, Jeffrey said, quote and overwhelming majority of House Democrats approached the speech with the seriousness that it deserves on the behalf of the American people. Great quote to point to avoid point out that the rest of them acted like children. Republicans,

you have them. Really, the Democrats are reeling, They are falling backwards. It's bad, but you can't help yourself. Ben Shapiro, with that nonsense. Elon Musk, I'm sorry, was a Democrat, he was about to vote Democratic. All of a sudden, he's sitting up there, reconsistent tweeting something reconsider you are you kidding me? This is most as non nonsense. I is there just a concerted effort to show that you don't give a flying shit about how black people feel?

Is that what this is? It makes no sense. Why would you fall in your sword for Derek Chauvin? Do you know Sean Hannity, Fox News, Mark Levin, the great one Big Tom conservative radio host, along with others, they all called out Derek Chauvin, all of them, all of them they said, his ass need to be in jail. He had no business doing what he did. But Ben Shapiro and Elon Musk's gonna say we should consider him

being pardoned. Ladies and gentlemen, if they pardoned Derek Chauvin, if they pardon Derek Chauvin, don't even think about giving them your vote. We listen, this policy is taking place that a lot of people, particularly pioneers and officionados of civil rights legislation from nineteen sixty four, talking about how you got folks trying to eradicate the progress that has been made over all of these decades. Yes, they're far more educated than me on that, and I understand it.

In their odds, you already have no reason to be voting for folks on the right. But if they do this, if they pardon Derek Chauvin, if they let that man out of jail after murdering George Floyd, you've learned all you need to know. Don't even look at their asses

no more. Ben Shapiro again for the third time. If that was a white Jewish person on the ground, cuffed face down, whimpering and crying for their mother while telling you they're struggling, they cannot breathe, and it was a black cop on top of them with his knee on their net for over nine minutes. Would you be calling for that person to be pardoned? I can't wait to hear your answer on that question. I really really can't.

And Eli musk you a lot of things. The owner of X. Nobody will mistake you for Malcolm X. I can tell you that much. I'll leave it at that. That's it for this edition of The Stephen Asmith Show. Hope you all enjoyed it. Until next time, everybody, peace of love. I'm out.