‘Come on y’all?’ Stephen A. Smith yells after Jaylen Brown was snubbed from Olympic team for Boston teammate
STEPHEN A. Smith had a lot to say about Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown's Team USA snub.
The 2024 NBA Finals MVP, 27, didn't make the original roster, featuring his Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday.
He didn't get a call from USA Basketball when Kawhi Leonard left the team earlier this week either.
The invite went to Brown's other Celtics co-star, Derrick White, prompting the former No. 3 overall pick to fire a cryptic X post, which many thought was evidence he wasn't happy being left off the team.
The post included three curious face emojis.
The three-time All-Star later spoke again, tagging Nike — who designed Team USA's Olympic uniforms — and asking the sportswear giant, "This what we doing?"
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Brown has never been a Nike athlete and spoke out against the brand when it parted ways with Kyrie Irving due to his antisemitic remarks in 2022.
The Celtics star has also been seen wearing Nike shoes with the company's characteristic Swoosh logo removed.
Stephen A., 56, offered his two cents on Brown's situation Wednesday night, doubling down on his claim that the three-time All-Star is not considered likable in basketball circles.
"Do y’all believe me now?" the First Take star asked in an X post.
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"Yo [Brown], do I need to reveal my sources now? Is it not obvious now?
"How in the hell is a $300M man — now a champion and an NBA Finals MVP— who’s clearly a top-two player on the @celtics and a Top-15 player in the world, NOT chosen for Team-USA?
"B/c his teammate NOT named [Jayson] Tatum is selected before him? Come on y’all!!!"
In his comment, Stephen A. referenced the back-and-forth between him and Brown, sparked by the ESPN analyst's comments from the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Back in May, Smith said that, according to a source, Brown doesn't always get the credit he deserves because of his personality.
"It's not so much that he's underrated; it's that he's just not liked because of his 'I-am-better-than-you attitude,'" he said.
Stephen A. Smith's journey through media
STEPHEN A. Smith is now the face of ESPN and an executive producer on First Take having initially started working for the company back in 2003.
Smith has held various roles with the network, including hosting radio shows, SportsCenter contributions, and appearing on NBA Countdown.
He was a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1994 to 2010.
His began as an NBA writer before becoming a general sports columnist.
Before that, Smith worked as a reporter with Winston-Salem Journal, the Greensboro News, and the New York Daily News.
"He knows it. It's the same reason he is not as marketable as he should be."
Brown called out Smith on social media, asking him to reveal his source.
The 6-foot-6 guard took another dig at the First Take star not long after, wearing a "State Your Source" T-shirt at Boston's championship parade.
Team USA managing director Grant Hill addressed Brown's posts earlier this week, rejecting claims that Nike was behind Brown's omission from the Olympic roster.
"For a good portion of my career, I wore Fila," Hill said.
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"That was supposed to be a joke. We’re proud of our partners, obviously at USA Basketball.
"But this is about putting together a team."