In May 2024, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith triggered a firestorm by claiming that an anonymous NBA source told him that Jaylen Brown was “unmarketable” because of his ‘attitude’. After winning the 2024 Finals MVP, Brown decided to take a shot at the ESPN analyst by wearing a T-shirt to the Championship parade in Boston that had “State Your Source” written on it. Incidentally, Brown had taken to X after the incident and had quote-tweeted a clip of Smith’s remarks with the phrase “State your source“.
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State your source https://t.co/7ay3dXr6YN
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) May 26, 2024
On his Stephen A. Smith Show, the 56-year-old addressed the situation and remained steadfast in his commitment to not reveal his anonymous source behind the ‘unmarketable’ comments. He reminded people that journalists never reveal their sources despite immense pressure.
Stephen A. said, “State your source, no, that’s not gonna happen. It’ll never happen. Any journalist worth his salt ain’t naming his sources.”
Apart from that, he also revealed a moment he shared with Brown’s family after Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Smith apparently shared a hug with Jaylen’s mother Machelle Brown, and exchanged pleasantries with his brother as well.
For him, it proves the point that his comments weren’t taken negatively by the Celtics guard’s family. On the contrary, they thanked him for the message he had regarding Brown’s lack of marketability.
At the same time, Smith remained firm on his stance about Brown’s unmarketability. He questioned why the athlete with the richest contract in the NBA isn’t featuring in various endorsements and commercials like his peers despite achieving more than them. His comments have surely ruffled a lot of feathers.
Stephen A. Smith had a back-and-forth with Isiah Thomas
In May 2024, when Stephen A. Smith made the comments about Jaylen Brown’s supposed lack of marketability, Isiah Thomas jumped out in the 2024 Finals MVP’s defense. As Brown’s mentor, Thomas took to X and blasted the ESPN analyst for what he perceived as “slander” and asked him to stop making such audacious claims without naming a source.
Stephen A. clapped back, saying that Thomas could have called him instead of going public with his comments.
Interestingly, a few days later, the 56-year-old analyst lauded Brown for exuding qualities that are a must-have for a role model. He wondered why despite being a model citizen and an NBA superstar, he has been unable to find a place in the advertising space.
Smith also reiterated the same on his pod in response to Brown’s “State Your Source” T-shirt.
