Game Theory with Bomani Jones debuted Sunday night on HBO. The show featured Jones’s commentary on the day’s sports issues, some comedy sketches, and an interview with Stephen A. Smith. The First Take star was very candid about his stature in the sports world and his run-ins with people that were unhappy with what he had to say about them.
“I was never good enough to be an elite college athlete, let alone a professional athlete,” Smith told Jones. “And to walk into an arena and be more popular than 90% of the players, every single place I go, is crazy.”
Stephen A. Smith illustrated the point with a story about watching a game at Cnseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. According to Smith, while he his eyes were on the court, a long line of people wanting his autograph had formed and it stretched from the court to way up in the stands.
Smith also offered some real insight into how he became the asset to ESPN that he is now. He admitted to Bomani Jones that he is not as loud in his private life as he is on TV. He also shed some light on why he isn’t afraid to be critical.
He played basketball and wrote for the student paper at Winston-Salem State University. He told a story about writing a column saying his coach needed to retire. According to Smith, the column ruffled some feathers in the athletic department and had plenty of people wanting him kicked out of school, but his coach stood up for him saying that if Smith wants to be a journalist, his job is to call it like he sees it and that he was fair in the way he dealt with the coach.
Stephen A. Smith said that if his basketball coach could deal with him professionally in that moment, he expects others to be able to do the same.
“My problem is, half the time, people are coming at me because of the headline. They don’t read the story. They don’t know the quote. They’re like ‘This headline is out there. You said that about me.’ And if I can get to them, I can resolve it, but like you said, I’m a busy man. I ain’t got time to get to everybody.”
Smith then told a story about one player confronting him and trying to intimidate him. He told Bomani Jones that he is willing to listen to fair criticism, but no one can intimidate him.
“I remember one cat came up to me and said ‘Man, I don’t like your ass. I can’t stand you. You’re a punk bitch. Blah blah blah blah blah.’ AndI looked at him and I said ‘Can I speak?’. He said ‘Yeah.’ I said ‘I’m glad you said that, cuz I don’t like your punk bitch ass neither. Who the hell you think you’re scaring? Because I did my job? This is what you did. I didn’t get into your personal life. I was talking about the game. Who you think you’re scaring? It ain’t gonna work.’”
