Luka Doncic to get a fan ejected for the Mavs Wednesday night loss to the Suns became a much bigger story at the post-game presser. Doncic found himself in a back-and-forth with ESPN‘s Tim McMahon, who had covered the ejection as soon as it happened. “You’ll be the first one to always put something bad about me,” Doncic shot at the veteran journalist. Furthermore, Doncic called McMahon’s report “not true at all”. McMahon, who began his career as a Mavs beat reporter, attempted to defend his past coverage of Doncic.
Per McMahon, Doncic had asked security to removed a Suns fan after the fan yelled “Luka, you’re tired. Get your a– on the treadmill!” However, Doncic alleged that the comment was far from the worst thing the fan had said. While he refused to repeat the fan’s other comments, Doncic noted that the fan had been insistently heckling him the entire game, and the treadmill was the one that pushed him over the edge.
However, Doncic’s post-game beef with McMahon was not the only thing to come out of the blowout Suns win. There was also a brief on-court scuffle involving Kevin Durant. After a defensive collision, the Mavs’ Grant Williams appeared to knock KD to the ground. Jusuf Nurkic appeared to shove Williams, who was also shoved by Durant after the veteran picked himself up off the court.
The game was a close one going into half-time. However, Phoenix then outscored Dallas 42-20 in the third frame and ran away to a 23-point win. While Donic had 34, only two other Mavericks reached double-digit scoring. The Mavs four other starters combined for a total of 30 points. Meanwhile, Devin Booker sounded off for 46 points, condemning Dallas to their third consecutive loss. Next up for Dallas is a road game in Atlanta. The Suns, on the other hand, will look to extend their win streak to eight as they travel to Indiana.
In the realm of sports journalism, few names resonate as powerfully as Stephen A Smith. Born on October 14, 1967, in Queens, New York, Smith’s journey from modest beginnings to becoming a household name in the world of sports commentary is both inspiring and financially rewarding. As of 2024, Celebrity Net Worth estimates Smith’s wealth at an impressive $20 million. Let’s unravel the layers of his life, from his upbringing in Queens to his diverse career that spans print, radio, television, and even acting.
Early Life & Upbringing
Stephen A Smith’s story begins in the vibrant neighborhood of Hollis in Queens. Despite financial challenges, Smith’s parents instilled in him the values of discipline and determination. Growing up amidst a rich sports culture, his passion for athletics burgeoned early. Little did his parents know that their emphasis on education and hard work would lay the foundation for a remarkable career.
Smith’s pursuit of knowledge led him to Winston-Salem State University, where he not only excelled academically but also showcased his basketball prowess. His college basketball stint not only fueled his love for the game but also provided a platform for the skills that would define his future in sports journalism.
Journalistic Career: Print, Radio & TV
Post-graduation, Smith’s journey into the world of journalism unfolded across various mediums. From print publications to radio shows, his candid and insightful commentary earned him recognition. The transition to television, especially on ESPN‘s First Take, propelled him into the mainstream. Smith’s charisma and ability to spark thoughtful discourse solidified his position, contributing significantly to his ever-growing net worth.
Beyond the confines of journalism, Stephen A Smith demonstrated his versatility by venturing into acting. His acting debut came in 2007 when he appeared on General Hospital. While not his primary focus, his appearances in various projects added another layer to his multifaceted professional portfolio, showcasing his ability to transcend traditional roles.
Conclusion
In 2024, Celebrity Net Worth pegs Stephen A. Smith’s net worth at an impressive $20 million. His journey from a modest upbringing in Queens to the pinnacle of sports journalism exemplifies the quintessential American Dream. With tenacity and a diverse skill set, Smith has not only solidified his position in the industry but has also significantly contributed to his financial success. As fans continue to engage with his dynamic presence in the media landscape, Stephen A. Smith’s net worth stands as a testament to his enduring impact on the world of sports commentary.
With feuds between Aaron Rogers and Jimmy Kimmel, and Katt Williams’ now-viral appearance on Club Shay Shay, it truly looks as though 2024 is the year of the long-form roast. In addition to these major pop culture moments that rang in the new year, it appears as though Stephen A. Smith and Jason Whitlock are embroiled in a nasty verbal back-and-forth. Though the pair once worked alongside each other as ESPN commentators, the feud has rapidly escalated from rude off-hand remarks to elongated diatribes of ad hominem assaults. Here’s a brief look into how this beef began and the current state of affairs wrought by the battle of these media giants.
During an explosive segment on a January 4 episode of his series Fearless with Jason Whitlock, the right-wing social media commentator trashed Stephen A. Smith by implying his memoir Straight Shooter: A Memoir Of Second Chances And First Takes is full of lies and fabricated stories. Whitlock referred to Smith’s tale of receiving a basketball scholarship for Winston-Salem State University as “mind-blowingly preposterous” before referring to the ESPNFirst Take host as Stephen A. Myth.
These derogatory comments apparently began because Jason Whitlock wanted to compare his thoughts on Stephen A. Smith to similar sentiments expressed by Katt Williams regarding Kevin Hart’s status as a top comedian. Whitlock contends that Smith was put in his position not due to his talent and hard work, but as a result of nepotism from a controlling behind-the-scenes puppet master.
Smith Fires Back
Unfortunately for Jason Whitlock, Stephen A. Smith did not take these comments lying down. The ESPN host fired back on January 10 with an episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, resulting in a fiery 40-minute takedown of everything from Whitlock’s political views to his weight. During the rant, Smith divulged several behind-the-scenes stories about Whitlock’s tenure at ESPN, exposing the fact that the podcast host is highly difficult to work with and burns bridges everywhere he goes.
Smith unleashed a blaze of foul language and personal attacks, frequently referring to Whitlock as a “fat bastard,” and dubbed the Blaze TV host “the worst human being I’ve ever known.” Smith went on to say, “He is a piece of sh**. He’s the dude that’s going to have a funeral and ain’t going to be no pallbearers… I could not imagine, as a Black man, knowing our history, anything worse than a white supremacist. That is until Jason Whitlock came along. He’s worse than them. He is the worst, most despicable, lying, no-good, fat-ass human being I have ever known in my life.”
Smith even humorously stated before diving into his rant that he had already called his pastor to ask for forgiveness in advance. The ESPN host truly left no stone unturned when it comes to breaking down why Jason Whitlock’s career has stagnated over the past several years.
After Smith’s commentary went live, many colleagues from ESPN rushed to agree with what he had to say. Former ESPN contributor and current Atlantic journalist Jemele Hill specifically expressed unequivocal support of Smith, stating, “It’s one thing to critique people, it’s another thing to take the kind of shots that [Jason Whitlock] tends to take at people… I try very hard not to give in to it, but it gets tiresome and bothersome and irritating… what Stephen A. said was correct.”
Whitlock Responded In A Flurry Of Tweets
After being thoroughly cooked by Stephen A. Smith, Jason Whitlock returned to his Fearless desk to continue the fight. The former ESPN host shared well over a dozen posts on X (formerly Twitter) maligning Smith as an overly sensitive and feminine character. In these posts, Whitlock utilized a series of offensive language, including referring to Gary Stephens as a “m*dget” and baselessly claiming that Smith had women’s reproductive organs surgically implanted into his knees.
Many of the posts fail to make a salient point, and the common sentiment across social media seems to suggest that Whitlock is keeping the feud going to maintain relevance. For now, it seems that Stephen A. Smith has said his piece, and he likely won’t respond to Whitlock unless any new and pertinent information arises. In the meantime, Whitlock will continue to milk this feud for all its worth.
ESPN has been accused of submitting fake names to the parent organization of the Emmy Awards in order to acquire awards for their otherwise ineligible on-air personalities. The broadcaster would submit fake names as part of the credits lists for certain awards. If won, they won then take the awards and have them re-engraved. These re-engraved awards would then be given to the likes of Lee Corso and Desmond Howard. While College GameDay, the nexus of the scheme, won eight Emmys between 2008 and 2018, on-air talent was not eligible to receive ensemble production awards until 2023. This was to avoid individual personalities “double-dipping” on awards for the same body of work.
“Some members of our team were clearly wrong in submitting certain names that may go back to 1997 in Emmy categories where they were not eligible for recognition or statuettes. This was a misguided attempt to recognize on-air individuals who were important members of our production team. Once current leadership was made aware, we apologized to NATAS for violating guidelines and worked closely with them to completely overhaul our submission process to safeguard against anything like this happening again.
ESPN Embroiled In Feud Between Stephen A. Smith And Jason Whitlock
Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith, arguably the face of ESPN‘s on-air talent, has found himself in yet another bitter feud with Jason Whitlock. Smith absolutely tore into Jason Whitlock after the Blaze Media personality called Smith’s memoir “fiction”. Furthermore, Whitlock referred to the ESPN personality as “Stephen A. Myth”. “I mean it from my soul when I say this is the worst human being I’ve ever known. I don’t know of another human being worse than Jason Whitlock. He is a piece of sh-t. He’s the dude that’s going to have a funeral and ain’t going to be no pallbearers,” Smith said on his podcast.
Furthermore, other current and former ESPN employees chimed in to corroborate Smith’s comments about Whitlock, who was employed by the media giant on two separate occasions. “Stephen A Smith told the truth. Ole Boy tried to recruit a bunch of us to do some work for what was then the Undefeated and we did not want to work with him,” former ESPN journalist Jemele Hill said on X, formerly Twitter.
ESPN cameras caught an image they are now apologizing for.
During the All State Sugar Bowl, ESPN cameras took to Bourbon Street to catch the action of visitors enjoying New Year’s Day. They also caught a woman flashing her breasts on the strip. The moment prompted an apology from ESPN’s Bill Hofheimer.
“We regret that this happened and apologize that the video aired in the telecast,” Hofmeier said.
ESPN is easily the biggest sports network in the United States. Overall, the network has brought millions of fans some of the best coverage of the biggest sports. Of course, one of the sports that they cover is college football. College football had an amazing weekend as there were plenty of massive Bowl games. Of course, there was the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl, which led to the National Championship Finalists being crowned. The final game, which goes down next Monday, will be between Michigan and Washington.
During the Sugar Bowl, ESPN took fans through the streets of New Orleans. While going to or coming back from commercials, there would be shots of the city. At one point, the network tried to go down Bourbon Street. Overall, this is an ambitious idea given the debauchery that takes place on that street. Well, ESPN learned that the hard way as a woman flashed her breasts during a stroll down the street. It was an unfortunate moment as there was no real way for the network to censor it.
Bill Hofheimer, a spokesman for ESPN, told the Associated Press that the network was extremely sorry for what went down. “We regret that this happened and apologize that the video aired in the telecast,” he said. Needless to say, ESPN will have to be more careful moving forward. However, it is easy to see how a mistake like this could be made.
Let us know what you think of the latest blunder by ESPN, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sports world. We will continue to keep you informed on your favorite athletes and their latest moves.
Kendrick Perkins has declared that the perfect Christmas gift for LeBron James from the Lakers would be trading for Zach LaVine. “They need that third superstar. They need someone who can play at the perimeter, someone who can score 20 consistently.” In short, Perkins wanted the Lakers to trade for someone who could help take the pressure off LeBron, who turns 39 at the end of the week.
LaVine is currently out with a foot injury that sidelined him in early December. However, he is expected back in early January. Before he went down, he was averaging 21 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists a game. That would make LaVine the third-highest scorer on the Lakers and the team’s 20-point scorer after LeBron and Anthony Davis. Whether they make this move remains to be seen.
LeBron James Wants The Return Of Christmas Jerseys
Meanwhile, LeBron himself has expressed a desire for the NBA to bring back the Christmas jerseys that briefly existed in the early 2010s. “This was amazing!! . I do wish we had Xmas day uniforms across the league still. Wonder why it stopped. ,” LeBron wrote on Twitter. The Lakers veteran was responding to a throwback post about the jerseys. It’s unclear why the NBA has stopped doing Christmas jerseys. However, the discontinuation likely came about as a result of the league focusing on more league-wide initiatives, such as the City Edition jerseys.
LeBron is in action on Christmas Day, as the Lakers play the Celtics. The team recently snapped a four-game losing streak thanks to a 40-point performance from LeBron against the Thunder. “We needed this win. We didn’t want to end the road trip in a losing effort. To come in here to play versus a team that’s been playing extremely well throughout this season, it was a big win for us,” LeBron said after the game. The Lakers are now 16-14 and hold the 9th seed in the West.
Shannon Share is someone who has become massive in terms of sports media. Overall, this is thanks to his work on Undisputed, and now, First Take. Over the years, Sharpe has been able to increase his profile, and there is no doubt that he is beloved. Although some may not love him, there are those who are huge fans. They will continue to be big fans for many years, and we cannot wait to see what else Shannon does on TV. After all, his podcast with Chad Johnson has been an overwhelming success so far.
However, as it turns out, Sharpe wasn’t always sold on his voice or his abilities. In a new interview with Complex, Sharpe reveals there was a team where he enlisted a voice coach to help him change how he talks. However, he quickly realized that he didn’t need to do all that. He understood that the audience would see through it. Moreover, he just wanted to be himself, without having to censor or think twice about what he was saying.
“I went to so many speech therapists and pathologists trying to change the way I talk. And then I just realized that’s not who I am,” Sharpe said. “The listening audience, the viewing audience is never gonna believe this is who I am. They’ve heard me speak enough to know what I sound like and how I should sound. And once I went back to being who I was, my authentic self, it seemingly took off for me from there.”
We’re glad Shannon decided against doing this. His voice is iconic, and we are glad to have it in the sports landscape. Let us know what you think of this revelation, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sports world. We will continue to keep you informed on your favorite athletes and personalities.
Stephen A. Smith is someone who is always commenting on the biggest stories from around the NBA world. However, he does so in a way that can be exceptionally blunt. Sometimes, he will pick a target and he will stick with them for weeks until a new target comes along. Overall, you never want to be on Smith’s bad side. He has been known to be cruel on occasion, and it can get ugly. As for who he is going after right now, that man would just so happen to be Zion Williamson.
Williamson had a lackluster performance against LeBron James in the In-Season Tournament semi-final. Subsequently, there was a whole bunch of chatter about his weight and whether or not he was in the proper shape to play basketball. Over the weekend, Stephen A. was on his podcast where he was extremely hard on Williamson. Today, on First Take, he went even harder. In the video below, Smith talks about Zion’s weight and how he has heard about the NBA star from chefs down in New Orleans. He even had one quote that is setting the NBA world on fire.
“I’m not exaggerating, I’m quoting people. You got chefs in New Orleans who love him,” Smith began. “They’re looking for him. Every chef there wants to meet him… The word out on Zion Williamson is that he’ll eat the table.” One has to wonder where exactly Stephen A. is finding these sources, but we digress. It was a hell of a quote and many are wondering what exactly is wrong with the former Duke standout. At some point, someone on the team will have to hold him accountable.
Be sure to let us know what you thought of Stephen A. and his rant, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned and keep it locked to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will always keep you informed on all of your favorite artists.
For years, Stephen A. Smith has been going on television and begging people to STAY OFF THE WEED.
What started as one of his rants became a patented catchphrase for the ESPN personality every time an athlete found himself in trouble for using marijuana, which has happened less and less now that it’s legal in most states and most of the major sports leagues have removed it from their banned substance list. Even so, Smith still campaigns for folks to get off the weed and on Thursday, one of the most shocking news items of 2023 dropped when one of the most legendary weed smokers in history, Snoop Dogg, said he’s “giving up smoke” with a social media post reminiscent of a high school recruit making his college choice, asking for privacy at this time.
A few hours after the news of Snoop’s retirement from smoking hit, Stephen A. posted his response, photoshopping his face onto the Wario “I’ve won, but at what cost” meme.
It’s some top-tier posting from Smith and, I assume, whoever helps Smith run his social media — although, I do prefer pretending Stephen A. was opening up photoshop and making this all on his own. Stephen A. has been trying for years to get someone to listen and maybe, just maybe, Snoop watched one too many First Take episodes and was moved.