Stephen A. Smith has been operating on edge over the past month. The ESPN analyst was embroiled in a public dispute with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James after the latter confronted him during a game at the Crypto.com Arena over his comments about his son Bronny James.
Smith claimed he would have “swung at” the four-time NBA champion had he escalated the issue. Neither fans nor James believed him and the veteran forward even mocked him with a post on Instagram. The analyst is seemingly tired of being in the firing line and showcased that he wouldn’t stand for any slander during a heated moment on Monday’s episode First Take.
The show’s first hour featured Smith and former Los Angeles Clippers star Marcus Morris discussing the NBA’s play-in tournament and the playoffs. Former Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky and Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe joined in the second hour. When the latter faced some audio issues, Orlovsky quipped:
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“That’s the best part of the show so far.”
His jibe did not sit well with Smith, who immediately fired back in an aggressive tone, saying:
“Watch your mouth. Watch your mouth, Dan Orlovsky.”
Orlovsky continued to laugh while neither Molly Qerim nor Sharpe commented on the brief altercation.
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Edited by Param Nagda
