On a recent episode of the All the Smoke podcast, co-host and former NBA guard Stephen Jackson criticized ESPN sports commentator Stephen A. Smith. The disagreement came over Smith’s comments regarding Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook, revealing that he called the league office to ask why he had not been suspended for actions that resulted in his ejection during Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Jackson proceeded to call Smith a “snitch,” which led to Smith issuing a response on his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show. Jackson’s co-host, former NBA championship-winning forward Matt Barnes, appeared on the show to discuss the incident.
Barnes received plaudits from Smith, who acknowledged the podcast and Barnes’ knowledge. Smith questioned him as a former player, however, about when reputation and history become part of the equation in expressing opinion. Additionally, he wanted to hear his perspective about the ease with which people are engaging in “character assassination,” multiple occurrences of which Smith addressed during his show.
“I think you have a part to play in that,” Barnes said. “I think other people have a part to play in that from a standpoint of, to me, we used to have a really difficult job, [particularly with] players critiquing players we used to be brothers with – former teammates; former players. It used to be more about critiquing. Now I think there’s been a line drawn in the sand, and the flip side of it is now if you say something that’s going to garner clicks whether you wholeheartedly believe it, whether it’s disrespectful or you know it’s going to make good TV, that sh*t is rewarded now.”
There is a positive currency associated with compelling opinion even if uninformed, Barnes argued, which makes it seem as if knowledge and understanding of the sport and its inherent situations need not be equipped. Barnes pointed out that Westbrook has endured attacks that span beyond his play on the court, some of which relate to his own persona and family.
“I just miss the days and I wish it would steer back in the direction of, ‘Damn, we’ve got a tough job and we do have to critique, but we don’t have to disrespect this man or we don’t have to disrespect this woman or we don’t have to disrespect this anchor like this,’” Barnes explained, “but I think the line has been drawn and it’s been crossed, and I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to getting just critiquing analysts.”
Smith disagreed with Barnes’ opinion, stating that he has abided by a cardinal rule throughout his career where he recognizes personal life as the business of the individual, whereas professional life disseminated en masse is subject to scrutiny. Moreover, he recounted his criticism towards Westbrook being about his game, imploring him to use the paint to his advantage rather than shooting the basketball.
“People started calling him ‘Westbrick’ and messing with his daughters – not saying that was you, but the media,” Barnes articulated. “Skip Bayless had a big hand to play in that…. Skip was at a point where people were about to backhand him if they saw him in public, and I don’t think he knows or realizes but I think he’s kind of backpedaled.”
Smith added that Jackson comes across as someone who will defend the players no matter what, ostensibly wanting to garner and/or maintain a level of street credibility. As a result, Smith believes Jackson does not approach conversations from an objective point of view and maligns those who do when it is their jobs to have such a perspective. Barnes proceeded to explain the difficulties associated for former players critiquing their contemporaries, especially while trying to maintain relationships.
“I feel like sometimes the networks want you to go that extra mile for views and clicks, and I’ve never looked at it that way,” Barnes said. “When I was fortunate enough to work for ESPN – the four-plus or three-and-a-half/four years that I worked for them – I was always very content in my space because I knew that I could give you an in-depth analysis from a player’s point of view and throw some analytics in there, but I was never willing to really go out there and disrespect these guys because I know how hard it is to be in their position.”
Barnes ultimately feels that people can disagree without accompanying disrespect, an aspiration to which Smith reminded him of previous off-camera conversations they had about their roles on the air. With that, Smith revealed the difference between himself and Barnes being on the air and the ability they have to speak on certain topics.
“There’s a role that you get to play that I can’t because as a member of this fourth estate, as a media member, I can be as true and authentic as I can possibly be,” Smith said. “But in the same breath, there’s just certain places that I can’t go to because I wasn’t a former player, and I know that would be crossing a line.”
