Stephen A. Smith is known for his hot takes and strong opinions as a sports analyst on ESPN. Over the years, Smith has offended NBA players several times with his harsh criticism and bold commentary, which has often attracted polarizing opinions about him as well from NBA fans. One of the biggest things trolls use to roast Smith is his underwhelming career as a college basketball player. Before becoming a superstar sports analyst earning $13,000,000 per year, Smith had a lackluster basketball career in college, averaging only 1.5 points per game.
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While many people may troll Stephen A. Smith for his subpar career average, not many know the story behind it. Smith had to face a career-ending knee injury, which diminished all his chances and hopes of pursuing basketball as a legitimate career option. Speaking further on the topic on Paul George’s podcast, Stephen A. Smith shed more light on why he had to transition from a college ball player to a sports reporter.
Stephen A. Smith silences trolls by revealing the real story behind his failed basketball career
Stephen A. Smith had received a basketball scholarship to Winston-Salem State University, North Carolina, to play under Hall of Fame coach Clarence Gaines. However, in his first year of college, Smith suffered a devastating knee injury, which derailed his basketball career. He was asked about his college scholarship on Podcast P with Paul George. The 55-year-old revealed to George and crew:
“My first year there, I cracked my kneecap in half. I was never able to play again. I actually had to leave school for a semester to go home, under my mother’s insurance to rehab, because they wouldn’t pay for the insurance in North Carolina. So I’d come back, make the team, trying to practice. And once every 36 to 48 hours, my knee would just give out. I couldn’t run without the limp and all of that and other stuff. And that’s what happened.
The veteran journalist also called out trolls for ridiculing his 1.5 points per game stat. Smith added:
“So what I said was, everybody teasing me 1.5 points a game. I said, ‘No, it was less. I never played cause I cracked my kneecap in half, you ignorant a**_. I still got a 6 inch screw in it to this very day. They never took it out, because back in the day they would leave it out.”
Instead of pursuing a career in pro ball, Stephen A. Smith chose to have a much more successful career in the media industry. His success reached new heights after joining ESPN in 2003, where he became one of the faces of the channel. Smith’s popularity catapulted after becoming a part of First Take in 2005. Currently, Smith is one of the most popular NBA analysts in the country, if not the most popular.
Stephen A’s article once cost him his brotherhood with Allen Iverson
Stephen A. Smith is not afraid of offending anyone in the industry. He would always proceed with his takes, opinions, and analyses without fearing the consequences of his words. However, one time when he wrote a piece on Allen Iverson in 2010, he invited the wrath and anger of AI. Recalling the same on Paul George’s podcast, Smith said,
“He [AI] was so angry, he wouldn’t talk to me. We had gone like damn near two years. Finally, I caught up with him when I went down to Atlanta and he looked me in my face and said, ‘I don’t give a sh*t about the story! It’s that it was you…it was your name on the byline!’…He said, ‘There’s nobody in the industry that could hurt me, but you!’”
The relationship between AI and Stephen A. has now improved significantly. However, the misunderstanding between the two was quite unfortunate. Stephen A. still regards AI highly for helping him reach the heights of success he now enjoys.
