During Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith was in headlines for an unexpected reason. Cameras caught Smith playing a game of solitaire. Smith later responded to the situation, brushing it off by insisting he’s capable of multitasking. However, the backlash didn’t disappear.
Smith fired back on the latest episode of Sirius NBA Radio. The ESPN analyst didn’t hold back his frustration. He dropped a fiery response aimed directly at his critics.
“Like I was doing. I was doing what the hell I always do. And for those out there who don’t like it, kiss my ass. When I’m watching the game, I’m watching the game. If there’s a break in the action, it could be a dead ball,” Smith said.
“I was doing what the hell I always do…for those out there that don’t like it – kiss my ass”@stephenasmith addresses the reaction to him playing solitaire during Game 4 with @termineradio & @jumpshot8 #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/zOktJ0f03L
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) June 17, 2025
“It could be a timeout or something like that. I can play the damn thing for two seconds. Somebody is standing over me, upper deck, zooming in on my phone, watching me, and saying, ‘Oh, he’s playing solitaire. He’s not, he’s not focusing on the game,’” he added.
Ja Morant Fires Back At Stephen A. Smith Over Memphis Criticism
Stephen A. Smith recently took aim at the city of Memphis. He raised safety concerns and referenced “intel” he claimed to have received from people around the NBA. Following that, the Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant fired back at Smith’s claims with a sharp post that questioned both his credibility and priorities.
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“talkin bout the grizz more than the finals wit these ahh sources,” Morant wrote.
This isn’t the first time Smith’s commentary has stirred controversy. But with his solitaire game drama, Smith is now in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
