The Boston Celtics hosted the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals on Sunday night. During the “NBA Countdown” pregame show, Malika Andrews, Stephen A. Smith, Mike Wilbon, Bob Myers and Josh Hart discussed Mavericks coach Jason Kidd saying that Jaylen Brown was the Celtics best player. While the panel didn’t have much to disagree on during the segment, it did lead to an interesting moment between Smith and Myers.
Myers was talking about how Kidd’s comments might be an attempt by the Mavericks coach to divide the locker room, as Myers pointed out that’s what happens when a team is on top. The former Golden State Warriors general manager also pointed out that more than ever, people are trying to tear teams down and suggested that Stephen A. Smith was one of the people who might be doing exactly that.
Smith took exception and blamed social media instead.
“We tear teams apart more than we ever have, maybe on purpose, maybe that guy down there (pointing at Stephen A. Smith).” – Bob Myers
“Not me. Not me. That’s social media, not me.” – SAS 😬 pic.twitter.com/rb1XTouQDJ
“The Celtics are on top, right,” said Myers. “And anytime you’re on top people used to come at Curry and Durant. They’d come at you in the media. They come at you on the street. And the point is—and Josh knows this—what matters is your locker room. The fabric of that locker room and what they can withstand. That Knicks fabric, you had that this year, but it is hard to find. We tear teams apart more than we ever have. Maybe on purpose, maybe not, maybe that guy down there.”
That’s when Smith jumped in to defend himself by saying, “Not me. Not me. Not me. That’s social media. That’s not me.”
While the rest of the panel laughed, Myers joked about how he must have been mistaken. “Maybe you might,” Myers asked. “That’s somebody else? I thought it was you for a second there.”
This marks the second time in a week that an ESPN colleague has called out Smith on-air after Monica McNutt put him on the spot on First Take for not using his platform to promote women’s basketball before the Caitlin Clark era. When that happened, Smith took serious offense. And he clearly did not enjoy this moment either. We’ll have to wait and see if he lets this one go tomorrow. It would certainly be interesting to hear him explain how he doesn’t play some part in this exact kind of thing.
STEPHEN DOUGLAS
