Stephen A. Smith is the unequivocal showman and star of ESPN’s First Take. His boisterous emotions, theatrics, and unparalleled rants go viral seemingly every day. The absurdity of his demeanor is hilariously entertaining, and his latest stance is once again casting far across the airwaves.
On Friday morning, he, Patrick Beverly, Molly Qerim, and Jay Williams discussed a hypothetical 2-on-2 game involving Smith, Beverley, Williams, and JJ Redick. Williams poked fun at Smith’s defensive shortcomings, while Smith retorted “I don’t need defense.” After various voices converged into a concert of noise, Smith had something to say about his chances in this matchup.
“Jay Williams, Patrick Beverley, JJ Redick, these are NBA players. I’m not on that level, I know better than that,” Smith said. “But Jay Williams came out and said I’m not scoring a point. I’m not saying I’m gonna win by any stretch of the imagination. … I’m gonna have my moments where, Jay, I’m gonna bust your ass.”
.@Stephenasmith tells @realjaywilliams he’s going to “bust his ass” at some point in 2⃣ x 2⃣ and the First Take crew is in tears
pic.twitter.com/lHihFSL5yL
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 10, 2022
The entire crew, Smith included donning a wide grin, burst out in laughter and smiles. Beverley and Qerim kept asking who Smith’s partner would be between Beverley and Redick. Smith insisted it did not matter and that he’d find success against Williams regardless of his teammate.
“It don’t matter who your partner is. As soon as you touch the ball, Stephen A., your back’s gonna be to the basket,” Williams responded. “If you get five dribbles off of me, that’s gonna be a Hail Mary situation for you. You won’t be able to see the rim.
“Make it, take it, game to 7. He ain’t getting the ball.”
Simply, nobody does it like Smith. His talent is artistry.