Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith addressed fans’ concerns regarding him playing Solitaire during Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Smith is one of the most renowned sports analysts around the world who began his journalism career back in 1991 and hasn’t stopped since.
Given the expectations from his occupation, some fans believe that sports analysts like Smith are required to keep their eyes glued to the game at all times. However, many didn’t appreciate when Smith was caught playing Solitaire on his phone at one point during the game.
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Stephen A. Smith recently addressed the concern on a recent airing of "SiriusXM NBA Radio":
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“For those out there that don’t like it – kiss my a**. When I'm watching the game, I'm watching the game. If there's a break in the action... I can play the damn thing for two seconds.
"I watch over a hundred games a year," he added. "I'm on TV every morning for two hours, 10 hours live every day... They don't count all the obligations that I have. I'm sitting there getting a little break and I decide to play a little Solitaire, which by the way I always do. If there's halftime, I might go on my phone for two minutes to play Solitaire."
Ja Morant claps back at Stephen A. Smith for negative comments about Memphis
The NBA postseason's conclusion is on the horizon as the OKC Thunder secured a 3-2 series lead over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. While everyone is anticipating which star will win their first ring this year, Stephen A. Smith indirectly stirred up some chaos on social media.
During the NBA Finals, Smith made some remarks on ESPN's "First Take" regarding why star players don't play for the Memphis Grizzlies.
“The people in Memphis, it’s a great sports town, great fans, great people — but there’s an element there where cats like Jimmy Butler and others don’t feel like it’s the safest environment," Smith said.
"I’m talking to the local authorities in Memphis. You’ve got to clean some of that stuff up because it’s dissuasive to NBA players. They have talked about it. I know, they’ve told me. That’s all I’m saying," he added.
Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant didn't appreciate his comments and expressed his thoughts on X/Twitter:
"Talkin bout the grizz more than the finals wit these [cap] ahh sources."
"Instead of focusing on the performances we seen from jdub/shai, tj/siakam, how this series is going, we say sumn negative about a city/team on a national level," he added in another post.
Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals is set to take place on Thursday at Gainbrudge Fieldhouse in Indiana. If the Thunder manage to secure a win, they will be crowned this year's champions. If the Pacers can find a way to get back up, then they'll force a Game 7 scheduled to take place on June 22 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma.
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