Stephen A. Smith fired back at Charles Barkley’s criticism regarding ESPN’s matters regarding the NBA. On Friday’s episode of “First Take,” the veteran analyst defends his media company’s topic choices.
Barkley voiced his frustration during Thursday’s Inside the NBA, a show set to move to ESPN by the next season. The Suns legend expressed disappointment with the coverage his future company prioritizes.
“Y’all are idiots because you talk about the Warriors and the Lakers all the time. That’s the reason I get pissed,” Barkley said.
Charles Barkley GOES OFF about Lakers/Warriors coverage (and LeBron James/Michael Jordan debates) from “the fools on the other network (ESPN), which we’re going to be working for next year.” 🏀📺🎙️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥☠️ pic.twitter.com/0RyvL0H4ix
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 7, 2025
Barkley also took shots at ESPN’s analysts, including Kendrick Perkins, making it clear he isn’t welcome to work with his future colleagues.
“He an idiot and a fool, he know who he is. Kendrick Perkins….the fools on the other network (ESPN), which we’re going to be working for next year.”
Stephen A. Smith didn’t take Barkley’s criticism lightly. He began by recounting his confrontation with LeBron James on Thursday over the extensive coverage of James’ son, Bronny.
Smith then tied the discussion to Barkley’s issues about ESPN’s coverage, highlighting that the company prioritizes relevant topics among the public.
“We run from nothing… the subjects we talk about are a potpourri of topics. We talk about all sports, but we also pay attention to what’s resonating. That’s why we’re No. 1,” Smith retorted.
“Barkley does television. He’d never be accused of knowing television.” – Stephen A. Smith responds to Charles Barkley’s ESPN rant pic.twitter.com/46cYDKff1S
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 7, 2025
Firsttake 090922 Es04
Despite his heavy response to Barkley’s criticism, Stephen A. Smith clarified that he meant no disrespect to the NBA legend but reiterated the importance of covering topics that engage the audience.
“Maybe Charles Barkley should look at its rundowns from time to time even though they are an NBA show as opposed to a show that talks about an abundance of things. The fact of the matter is, some stories get a higher profile than others because they resonate with the viewing public. And in television, it’s called ratings,” Smith added.
Stephen A. Smith clears tension amidst conflict with LeBron James
Stephen A. Smith has repeatedly criticized LeBron James’ son, Bronny, on his shows, and James took issue with it.
Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ match against the New York Knicks on Thursday, James confronted Smith, captured by a clip from X/Twitter.
Firsttake 090922 Es05
After the tense confrontation, Smith adressed the situation on Friday’s episode of First Take. He believed that James took his criticism of Bronny as not approaching him as a player but as a parent protective of his son.
“That was LeBron James coming up to me… To confront me about making sure that I mind what I say about his son… That wasn’t a basketball player confronting me. That was a parent. That was a father, and I can’t sit here and be angry or feel slighted by LeBron James in any way in that regard. By all accounts, he’s obviously a wonderful family man and a wonderful father who cares very, very deeply about his son,” Smith said.
.@stephenasmith describes his moment with LeBron James last night at Lakers-Knicks. pic.twitter.com/ZZyUnOOwYZ
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 7, 2025
Bronny, who’s at the NBA G League playing for the South Bay Lakers, is averaging 17.6 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.4 rebounds. Meanwhile, his father, LeBron, seeks to secure his team’s spot in the West in Sunday’s match against the Boston Celtics.
For more sports content:
Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for your NBA and college basketball reading fix. You can reach out to Dan Agulto through email at papadanph@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
