February 2, 2025 • 11 mins
Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Let me get to some quick hitters. We'll continue in
the NBA. Did y'all see that game last night Houston
Rockets Memphis Grizzlies.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Did you see it? I know I saw it Grizzlies.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
As the Rockets won twenty to one nineteen in the
battle between the two and three seeds in the Western Conference.
Ladies and gentlemen, if this is the Western Conference finals matchup,
I'd love it.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
John Morant didn't played last night. You'll go in there
and play last night for the Houston Rockets. I don't
give a damn. That kid, Jalen Green is gonna be
a star. That kid a Men Thompson. Remember I keep
telling y'all this brother turned twenty two January thirtieth, This
brother Amen Thompson, special, special, fierce, defender, rebounder, competitor, and
(00:49):
he's got a game that's just blossoming. He made you
doka than me. Is one of the best coaches in
the game. He's gonna win a championship in Houston. Houston Rockets.
I mean, Jenkins can coach butt off. Memphis is Memphis
to be respected. John Moran brings his game, make no
mistake about it. Memphis is formidable. But the Houston Rockets,
I'm telling y'all. I'm telling y'all, Houston is gonna make
(01:14):
some noise.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Houston.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I'm not even sure it's right to say they're piece away.
I just think their experience away. I love what I'm
seeing in Houston. I love what Emai Udoka is doing.
Keep your eyes on it, y'all. Houston Rockets, they come,
and y'all they coming. Now, let's talk about the All
Star Game, please. The Eastern and Western Conference teams have
(01:38):
been named, but there's a glaring omission on the Eastern roster.
In some people's eyes anyway, it's LaMelo Ball. Ball is
not the first player to lead his position group and
fan voting that is not named an All Star the voting.
The voting format changed in twenty sixteen twenty seventeen season.
It's a factor in fans, media and players, Okay, And
that's why LaMelo Ball didn't get in because the media
(01:59):
and the players didn't have him as the top guy.
The fans did because they want to see a brother
put on the show. He averaging like twenty eight points
a game, but he shooting like forty two percent for
the field, like thirty three percent for three point range.
He's a volume shooter. I'm not questioning the Lamello's game.
The brother can ball. Here's what I would tell you.
Your team is twelve and thirty two, that's what happens.
(02:20):
You you miss All Star games when your team is
twenty games under five hundred, That's what happens. That's the
way it goes. And to me, that's not the biggest snub.
Ladies and gentleman. Kyrie Irvin for the Dallas Mavericks. What
about him? What about Kyrie Irving? I got it even better.
You see what he's doing. Twenty four point two points,
forty percent shoot from the fear, forty two percent from
(02:42):
three point range, and they win when he's on the court,
even with our Lukadancik. Kyrie is special and he's made
for All Star Weekend?
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Why he ain't there?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Here's another one, Ladies and gentlemen, you're ready for this.
How about the Clippers Norman Powell. I'm not in any
way saying James Harden doesn't deserve it, because he does.
He's had a great he's had a damn good season
and he's really resurrected his career, and it reminded us
all of the respect that he deserves. James Harden I'm
(03:13):
talking about. But how about Norman Powell brother averaging about
twenty four game shooting about forty three percent for three
point range.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
The Clippers are.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Seven games over five hundred, and this dude has been
to reserve his entire career and has worked this tail off.
Never cheats you, always comes ready to ball always, Norman Powell.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
To me, that's the biggest snub of them all.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Clippers the seven games over five hundred KWHI Leonard has
missed about thirty eight thirty nine games, and the Clippers
the seven games over five hundred, in the top six
seed in the Western Conference.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Why the hell ain't Norman Powell live? He deserves it.
He deserves it.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I'm just saying. Let's talk about the NBA commissioner Adam Silver,
who made waves earlier this week. By the way, Silver
appeared on the Dan Patrick Show and said that he
was in favor of the league shortening the game for
forty eight minutes to forty minutes. Here's what the commissioner
had to say. Quote, the NBA is the only league
that plays forty eight minutes. I am a fan of
four to ten minute quarters. I'm not sure that many
(04:23):
others are. I mean, putting aside what it means for
records and things like that, I think that a two
hour format for a game is more consistent with modern
television habits. Incidentally, if you went to a forty minute
game with the minutes around load management and resting, it
would be the equivalent of I don't know exact math,
taking like fifteen games off the season. I don't want
to hear that. I get where Adam Silver's coming from.
(04:45):
Limit the minute minutes. It amounts to about fifteen less
games a year when you take into account the minutes
because you chopping eight minutes off of regulation. I get
that part. I get the part about the modern day
era of television watchers and how it appears to be
viewer for friendly with what he was suggesting, Sir Commissioner.
That is not the problem. The problem is the effort.
(05:07):
How many concessions are you going to make for players
who just don't want to come to work? I mean,
come on, come on, now, you give him, you chop
it down to forty minutes, it still ain't gona stop
them from load managing. It's still not gonna stop them
from missing games. It's still not gonna stop them from
being lack of days ago at times. I'm not talking
(05:28):
about all, I'm not talking about most, but some it's
still not gonna get them to prioritize stuff like All
Star weekend. The commissioner somebody sent me a text yesterday
and I thought it was very, very profound, especially when
they were talking about All Star Weekend. They said, the
(05:49):
players look at the league like a bank, not like partners.
The bank has your money. We gotta go to the
bank to get the money. So okay, that's what we
gotta do. But we don't like going to the bank.
We don't like dealing with them, but we have no
(06:10):
choice because they got our money. The person that sent
me that text was absolutely right. That's how the players
view the league. And the sad part about it is
they get away with it only because Adam Silver is
an incredibly player friendly, nice man. Y'all lucky as hell
(06:33):
commission to David Stern is in the lives and in
that seat, and you didn't have to deal with him,
y'all know good and well, y'all wouldn't even try it
let me tell y'all something, and I want everybody to listen.
I want my whole team out there to listen. I
want my team right here to listen. I want to
tell you something about David Stern, and I'm not casting
(06:53):
Anya Spurgeons on the man. I love the man, and
we had our battles and issues in the past, but
in the years leading up to his passing, we cultivated
a very close relationship and I grew to just love
him and respect the hell out of him, and I
appreciated the advice and the counsel in a straight, candid,
no nonsense approach he had with me. Okay, let me
(07:15):
tell y'all a little story. David Stern once said this
to a network head executive. I'm not gonna tell you
which network. It wasn't mine. I'm not gonna tell you
which network. I'm not gonna tell you the name of
the person. I'm not gonna tell you anything. I wanna
give you an example of who David Stern was. David
(07:41):
Stern wanted somebody to come to a game with him,
fly out with him, and go to a game with
him one of their network executives, and the executive said Dave,
I appreciate it, and I will come with you, and
I'll bring my kids, like David's turning to ask him
to bring excips me them.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Let's go, let's go to this game.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
And the executive said to him, only on one condition,
you can't call me a dumb motherfucker in front of
my kids. That's a true story. What is the lesson
appeal from that? David Stern would say that to anybody.
(08:26):
He pulled no punches. When we got in an argument
one day early in my career, he called me a
piece of shit and he said, lose the number and
hung up on me and we didn't talk for two years.
And ladies and gentlemen, I'm one of countless victims of
(08:49):
his diatribes and wraths. Michael Jordan knows about his wrath.
Alan Iverson knows about his wrath. Dwayne Wade knows about
his wrath, along with countless others, players, coaches.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
I saw him walk.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Up to a coach that was critical of the referees,
and he walked up to the coach and smiled right
at courtside as he was walking to his seat, and
he says, do you.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Like your job?
Speaker 1 (09:21):
And the coach, and of course I love it. He said, well,
you better shut the fuck up if you want to
keep liking it, because it won't be here for long
if you don't learn to shut up and walked away
right in front of me and other media members. David
(09:41):
Stern in play, Adam Silver doesn't have to be that.
I don't think he's capable of being that, but he
cares so much about the players. My advice to him
would be care about those who can about you and
(10:03):
leave the res be to your discretion, because you gotta
lead to run. That would be my advice to Adam Silver,
who I also have a great relationship with and I
respect the hell out of and I think he does
a great job. Our last quick hitter is a shout
out to the one and only. Dwayne Wade, the Miami
(10:25):
Heat legend and Hall of Famer, revealed yesterday that he
had surgery on his kidney in twenty twenty three to
remove a tumor. Wade said doctors removed forty percent of
his right kidney and that test on that tumor showed
it was cancerous. He also said he was thankful that
he decided to go forward with the procedure, while acknowledging
(10:46):
the decision itself was a low point in his life.
I've been tired with d Wade for years. I had
no idea about this. Nobody tells you everything. I'm just
happy that my man seems well and the good spirits.
He was out of the country a couple of days
ago here and I spoke. One of the best people
I've ever covered in professional sports. Just a good hearted, soulful,
(11:12):
decent at his core human being. Even when he was
mad at you, he didn't come at you wrong. Class
personified one of the best human beings ever. Thank God
he's okay, Thank god he's feeling well. Wishing him nothing
but continued health moving forward. I loved this brother. He's
(11:36):
good people. It's one of the best people I know
and I've ever covered in professional sports in my life.
So I'm very, very relieved that he seems to be okay.
Let me get to some quick hitters. We'll continue in
the NBA. Did y'all see that game last night Houston
Rockets Memphis Grizzlies.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Did you see it? I know I saw it Grizzlies.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
As the Rockets won twenty to one nineteen in the
battle between the two and three seeds in the Western Conference.
Ladies and gentlemen, if this is the Western Conference finals matchup,
I'd love it.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
John Morant didn't played last night. You'll go in there
and play last night for the Houston Rockets. I don't
give a damn. That kid, Jalen Green is gonna be
a star. That kid a Men Thompson. Remember I keep
telling y'all this brother turned twenty two January thirtieth, This
brother Amen Thompson, special, special, fierce, defender, rebounder, competitor, and
(00:49):
he's got a game that's just blossoming. He made you
doka than me. Is one of the best coaches in
the game. He's gonna win a championship in Houston. Houston Rockets.
I mean, Jenkins can coach butt off. Memphis is Memphis
to be respected. John Moran brings his game, make no
mistake about it. Memphis is formidable. But the Houston Rockets,
I'm telling y'all. I'm telling y'all, Houston is gonna make
(01:14):
some noise.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Houston.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I'm not even sure it's right to say they're piece away.
I just think their experience away. I love what I'm
seeing in Houston. I love what Emai Udoka is doing.
Keep your eyes on it, y'all. Houston Rockets, they come,
and y'all they coming. Now, let's talk about the All
Star Game, please. The Eastern and Western Conference teams have
(01:38):
been named, but there's a glaring omission on the Eastern roster.
In some people's eyes anyway, it's LaMelo Ball. Ball is
not the first player to lead his position group and
fan voting that is not named an All Star the voting.
The voting format changed in twenty sixteen twenty seventeen season.
It's a factor in fans, media and players, Okay, And
that's why LaMelo Ball didn't get in because the media
(01:59):
and the players didn't have him as the top guy.
The fans did because they want to see a brother
put on the show. He averaging like twenty eight points
a game, but he shooting like forty two percent for
the field, like thirty three percent for three point range.
He's a volume shooter. I'm not questioning the Lamello's game.
The brother can ball. Here's what I would tell you.
Your team is twelve and thirty two, that's what happens.
(02:20):
You you miss All Star games when your team is
twenty games under five hundred, That's what happens. That's the
way it goes. And to me, that's not the biggest snub.
Ladies and gentleman. Kyrie Irvin for the Dallas Mavericks. What
about him? What about Kyrie Irving? I got it even better.
You see what he's doing. Twenty four point two points,
forty percent shoot from the fear, forty two percent from
(02:42):
three point range, and they win when he's on the court,
even with our Lukadancik. Kyrie is special and he's made
for All Star Weekend?
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Why he ain't there?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Here's another one, Ladies and gentlemen, you're ready for this.
How about the Clippers Norman Powell. I'm not in any
way saying James Harden doesn't deserve it, because he does.
He's had a great he's had a damn good season
and he's really resurrected his career, and it reminded us
all of the respect that he deserves. James Harden I'm
(03:13):
talking about. But how about Norman Powell brother averaging about
twenty four game shooting about forty three percent for three
point range.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
The Clippers are.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Seven games over five hundred, and this dude has been
to reserve his entire career and has worked this tail off.
Never cheats you, always comes ready to ball always, Norman Powell.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
To me, that's the biggest snub of them all.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Clippers the seven games over five hundred KWHI Leonard has
missed about thirty eight thirty nine games, and the Clippers
the seven games over five hundred, in the top six
seed in the Western Conference.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Why the hell ain't Norman Powell live? He deserves it.
He deserves it.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I'm just saying. Let's talk about the NBA commissioner Adam Silver,
who made waves earlier this week. By the way, Silver
appeared on the Dan Patrick Show and said that he
was in favor of the league shortening the game for
forty eight minutes to forty minutes. Here's what the commissioner
had to say. Quote, the NBA is the only league
that plays forty eight minutes. I am a fan of
four to ten minute quarters. I'm not sure that many
(04:23):
others are. I mean, putting aside what it means for
records and things like that, I think that a two
hour format for a game is more consistent with modern
television habits. Incidentally, if you went to a forty minute
game with the minutes around load management and resting, it
would be the equivalent of I don't know exact math,
taking like fifteen games off the season. I don't want
to hear that. I get where Adam Silver's coming from.
(04:45):
Limit the minute minutes. It amounts to about fifteen less
games a year when you take into account the minutes
because you chopping eight minutes off of regulation. I get
that part. I get the part about the modern day
era of television watchers and how it appears to be
viewer for friendly with what he was suggesting, Sir Commissioner.
That is not the problem. The problem is the effort.
(05:07):
How many concessions are you going to make for players
who just don't want to come to work? I mean,
come on, come on, now, you give him, you chop
it down to forty minutes, it still ain't gona stop
them from load managing. It's still not gonna stop them
from missing games. It's still not gonna stop them from
being lack of days ago at times. I'm not talking
(05:28):
about all, I'm not talking about most, but some it's
still not gonna get them to prioritize stuff like All
Star weekend. The commissioner somebody sent me a text yesterday
and I thought it was very, very profound, especially when
they were talking about All Star Weekend. They said, the
(05:49):
players look at the league like a bank, not like partners.
The bank has your money. We gotta go to the
bank to get the money. So okay, that's what we
gotta do. But we don't like going to the bank.
We don't like dealing with them, but we have no
(06:10):
choice because they got our money. The person that sent
me that text was absolutely right. That's how the players
view the league. And the sad part about it is
they get away with it only because Adam Silver is
an incredibly player friendly, nice man. Y'all lucky as hell
(06:33):
commission to David Stern is in the lives and in
that seat, and you didn't have to deal with him,
y'all know good and well, y'all wouldn't even try it
let me tell y'all something, and I want everybody to listen.
I want my whole team out there to listen. I
want my team right here to listen. I want to
tell you something about David Stern, and I'm not casting
(06:53):
Anya Spurgeons on the man. I love the man, and
we had our battles and issues in the past, but
in the years leading up to his passing, we cultivated
a very close relationship and I grew to just love
him and respect the hell out of him, and I
appreciated the advice and the counsel in a straight, candid,
no nonsense approach he had with me. Okay, let me
(07:15):
tell y'all a little story. David Stern once said this
to a network head executive. I'm not gonna tell you
which network. It wasn't mine. I'm not gonna tell you
which network. I'm not gonna tell you the name of
the person. I'm not gonna tell you anything. I wanna
give you an example of who David Stern was. David
(07:41):
Stern wanted somebody to come to a game with him,
fly out with him, and go to a game with
him one of their network executives, and the executive said Dave,
I appreciate it, and I will come with you, and
I'll bring my kids, like David's turning to ask him
to bring excips me them.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Let's go, let's go to this game.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
And the executive said to him, only on one condition,
you can't call me a dumb motherfucker in front of
my kids. That's a true story. What is the lesson
appeal from that? David Stern would say that to anybody.
(08:26):
He pulled no punches. When we got in an argument
one day early in my career, he called me a
piece of shit and he said, lose the number and
hung up on me and we didn't talk for two years.
And ladies and gentlemen, I'm one of countless victims of
(08:49):
his diatribes and wraths. Michael Jordan knows about his wrath.
Alan Iverson knows about his wrath. Dwayne Wade knows about
his wrath, along with countless others, players, coaches.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
I saw him walk.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Up to a coach that was critical of the referees,
and he walked up to the coach and smiled right
at courtside as he was walking to his seat, and
he says, do you.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Like your job?
Speaker 1 (09:21):
And the coach, and of course I love it. He said, well,
you better shut the fuck up if you want to
keep liking it, because it won't be here for long
if you don't learn to shut up and walked away
right in front of me and other media members. David
(09:41):
Stern in play, Adam Silver doesn't have to be that.
I don't think he's capable of being that, but he
cares so much about the players. My advice to him
would be care about those who can about you and
(10:03):
leave the res be to your discretion, because you gotta
lead to run. That would be my advice to Adam Silver,
who I also have a great relationship with and I
respect the hell out of and I think he does
a great job. Our last quick hitter is a shout
out to the one and only. Dwayne Wade, the Miami
(10:25):
Heat legend and Hall of Famer, revealed yesterday that he
had surgery on his kidney in twenty twenty three to
remove a tumor. Wade said doctors removed forty percent of
his right kidney and that test on that tumor showed
it was cancerous. He also said he was thankful that
he decided to go forward with the procedure, while acknowledging
(10:46):
the decision itself was a low point in his life.
I've been tired with d Wade for years. I had
no idea about this. Nobody tells you everything. I'm just
happy that my man seems well and the good spirits.
He was out of the country a couple of days
ago here and I spoke. One of the best people
I've ever covered in professional sports. Just a good hearted, soulful,
(11:12):
decent at his core human being. Even when he was
mad at you, he didn't come at you wrong. Class
personified one of the best human beings ever. Thank God
he's okay, Thank god he's feeling well. Wishing him nothing
but continued health moving forward. I loved this brother. He's
(11:36):
good people. It's one of the best people I know
and I've ever covered in professional sports in my life.
So I'm very, very relieved that he seems to be okay.
Host
Stephen A. Smith
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