Stephen A. Smith doesn’t hide the fact that he and Kyrie Irving don’t see eye to eye.
On First Take this week live from Phoenix, Stephen A. went on a rant about Irving saying he was selfish during his time in Brooklyn. Irving was traded to Dallas earlier this week. Stephen A. asked if Irving was on drugs for suggesting that he did his job while as a member of the Nets.
Appearing with Pat McAfee on Media Row on Thursday, Smith said he’s always been a straight shooter when talking about Irving.
“It doesn’t matter how I feel about you, I’m always gonna be fair, and I’m always gonna be objective,” Smith said. “You ain’t worth my paper. So my attitude is even if I don’t like your ass, I’m still gonna be fair.”
Stephen A. went on to add that apparently there are some irreconcilable issues between the himself and the NBA star, but it doesn’t keep him from separating his feelings towards Irving as a person and his analysis of Kyrie as a player.
“Me and Kyrie have our differences – differences I don’t think will ever be settled,” he said. “He knows why. It’s personal – I’m not gonna say why. That doesn’t stop me from looking at him and saying he’s a phenomenal player.”
Stephen A. Smith said there is a difference between superstars and superstar players. He said Tim Duncan was an example of a superstar player, and Kyrie is a superstar.
“You walk through turnstiles to watch him play. That’s who he is,” Smith said. “So in that regard, Kyrie Irving pays for himself.”
Stephen A. Smith also said the fact is that despite being such a talented player, an NBA team can’t offer Irving a long-term contract this offseason not knowing whether or not Kyrie will play in a meaningful number of games.
