Stephen A. Smith isn’t backing down from his reporting earlier this month that black NBA coaches had told him they were upset over LeBron James starting a podcast with JJ Redick while then-Lakers coach Darvin Ham was thought to be on the hot seat.
Smith addressed it during ESPN’s “First Take” on Monday ahead of Redick’s Lakers introduction, telling viewers that he was simply reporting what he was being told.
“Black coaches called a black commentator to complain about a black superstar doing a podcast while his black head coach was on the hot seat before he ultimately lost the damn job,” Smith said. “What does that have to do with white folks? Some things are none of your damn business.”
The ESPN talking head had said on air last week that “numerous” black coaches had called him to express how they “took issue” with James doing the “Mind the Game” podcast, but he did add that “we certainly are not blaming JJ Redick.”
The issue that they seemed to have with it was that the optics of it appeared to undermine Ham, who is black, while he struggled to get the Lakers’ season on course.
The comments drew criticism from several media personalities, including Fox Sports Radio’s Doug Gottlieb, who called out Smith by name and labeled him a “race-baiter.”
ESPN’s own Pat McAfee also criticized the comments around Redick’s hiring that he felt had been unfair, though he never mentioned Smith specifically by name.
“It was a black on black thing, but you’ve got other folks who will remain nameless working for other networks with their irrelevant-ass selves popping their junk,” Smith said. “And the fact of the matter is it has absolutely positively nothing to do with that. It’s about that the fact that this situation ended up looking the way that it looks optically.”
Redick was hired by the Lakers last week after UConn head coach Dan Hurley turned down a six-year, $70 million contract offer to remain in Storrs, Connecticut.
The 15-year NBA veteran, who reportedly received a four-year contract worth around $8 million a year, has never coached professional basketball but has been hailed for his high basketball IQ since he started his media career, which brought him to ESPN as an NBA analyst.
Redick’s podcast with James started in March but lasted just nine episodes, as the new Lakers coach confirmed their podcast is over.
Redick told reporters on Monday that he would be “excommunicated from the content space” by himself.
