’Are Y’all Serious?’ — Stephen A. Smith Calls Out Draymond Green, Jemele Hill for Suggesting He Isn’t a Real ’Journalist’
· Yahoo Sports
Stephen A. Smith, the well-known ESPN on-air personality, has landed in hot water a few times recently. While many people enjoy watching and listening to Smith as an entertainer, others see him as an example of what is wrong with modern journalism.
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Draymond Green, a four-time NBA champion who has also ventured into the media space, told Jemele Hill on his podcast that he doesn’t view Smith as a journalist because he doesn’t do the kinds of things traditional journalists do, such as speaking to players in the locker room. The star forward also said that Smith compounds the problem by insisting that he is a journalist.
Now Smith has responded to Green.
Stephen A. Smith Fires Back at Draymond Green
On Smith’s SiriusXM show, he had a bone to pick with Green and offered to talk to him on the air.
“You and I were pretty tight. Then, after the choking incident with Rudy Gobert and the slap to Jusuf Nurkić, I upset you because I called you and said it was difficult to defend you. We’ve never talked since that time,” Smith said.
“You never called me and had a conversation man-to-man. Did I bring up the fact that you were willing to give that opportunity to Skip Bayless, but you’ve never given me that opportunity? You never invited me on ‘The Draymond Green Show’ since we haven’t spoken. Privately or publicly, name the time and place, bro. Ain’t no problem for me.”
Smith has served as a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, but his role on ESPN as a debater on “First Take,” as well as his overall personality and delivery, causes people not to see him as a true journalist or reporter.
The 58-year-old gives opinions on topics making the rounds in the NBA and NFL, but many likely feel that his opinions are little more than hot takes.
There is no question, however, that Smith is a big asset to ESPN. He reportedly signed a five-year contract worth more than $100 million last year, and regardless of how one chooses to label him, he attracts a large audience to the network, generating significant revenue.
Green is also no stranger to controversy. He has been involved in some dirty or even downright violent incidents during games over the years, a couple of which Smith referenced in his response.
The four-time All-Star just declined his player option for the 2026-27 season and is a free agent, but he and the Golden State Warriors seem to have every intention of getting a new deal done.