Ongoing rumors suggest that ESPN might have fired Stephen A. Smith after a fan recorded him playing solitaire during the NBA Finals. Smith has been associated with ESPN since 2003, starting as an analyst for NBA Shootaround (now known as NBA Countdown).
In addition to being an analyst, he also serves as a commentator and executive producer on First Take and hosts The Stephen A. Smith Show. The recent rumors have left fans concerned about his future with the network. So, is it true that Smith is no longer associated with ESPN?
Here are all the details.
Has Stephen A. Smith been fired by ESPN for playing solitaire?
No, Stephen A. Smith has not been fired by ESPN. The rumors are false.
On Friday, a fan captured Stephen A. Smith’s phone activity during Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the clip, Smith appeared to be playing Solitaire on his mobile phone, sparking a controversy that quickly fueled rumors that he was fired from ESPN.
Smith has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to address his viral image, confirming that he did play solitaire but during a timeout and not during the game. He said, “Yep! That’s me. Who would’ve thought….I can multi-task. Especially during TIMEOUTS! Hope y’all are enjoying the NBA Finals. This is going 7 games now, peeps!” However, despite Smith’s clarification, a community note on X flagged his comment for inaccuracy. It stated, “Stephen was on solitaire on his phone while the game was being played.”
Additionally, in another conversation on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Smith appeared unfazed by the criticism. He said, “I was doing what the hell I always do,” Smith said. “And for those that don’t like it, kiss my a–.”
Clarifying that he was attentive to the game, he added, “When I’m watching the game, I’m watching the game.” He further added, “If there’s a break in the action — it could be a dead ball, it could be a timeout or something like that — I can play the damn thing for two seconds.”
