Stephen A. Smith has been fired by his home network, ESPN, or at least, news from the social media platform X claimed. However, a closer look at the source puts the legitimacy of the news into question.
In a post on X, NBA Centel claimed that ESPN has fired its veteran analyst Stephen A. Smith. No other information was given, but an account called @WIndhostESPn was named as the source.
BREAKING: ESPN has fired Stephen A. Smith
(Via @WindhostESPN) pic.twitter.com/jn1lWTD9qe
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) October 20, 2025
However, NBA Centel is a known parody account that parodies NBA Central, a trusted third-party source of NBA updates and basketball news. Even the account tagged as the source is a parody account of the ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst.
In a recent episode of the podcast “7 PM in Brooklyn” with former NBA star Carmelo Anthony, Smith opened up about the long-running feud he has with Los Angeles Lakers veteran LeBron James. Earlier this year, that feud even peaked with a physical courtside confrontation.
“The day that he rolled up on me courtside, it was the day my contract was announced that I had stayed with ESPN,” Smith explained on the podcast. “Go back and look at the camera angle…This is 2025, we got technology everywhere. TNT is a nationally televised game. How is it we got one angle, and the only angle you see was of him and his face, but you see the back of my peanut head?”
https://youtu.be/xNOH5LqLJ3Q
He also reiterated his conspiracy stance that it was a staged confrontation, as he pointed out that with the kind of superstar that LeBron is, cameras were surprisingly not on him when he confronted the ESPN analyst.
Stephen A. Smith Predicts Mavs Chasmpionship, On one Condition
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith recently named the Dallas Mavericks his pick to win the NBA title. However, the analyst also mentioned that their championship prospects hinge on health, specifically the returns of Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, whose availability would make Dallas his favorite to take the crown.
Smith argued that with Irving healthy and Davis available, the Mavericks’ roster construction, including young forward Cooper Flagg and role players like P.J. Washington, gives them the depth and versatility to contend, and he cited coach Jason Kidd’s leadership as a factor in that belief.
“If Kyrie Irving comes back healthy and Anthony Davis is healthy, I think Dallas should be the favorite to win it all,” Smith stated in the same podcast episode with Carmelo Anthony. “Oklahoma is the reigning, defending champion. They pretty much had their way with most teams this year before the finals, before it was pushed to seven games. Not Dallas. They took Oklahoma City out. Kyrie and the boys are that kryptonite.”
Stephen A. Smith continues to be one of the main hosts of the ESPN debate show “First Take.”
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.
