Which Player Will be Next to Confront Stephen A Smith During a Live NBA Game?
Which Player Will be Next to Confront Stephen A Smith During a Live NBA Game?
During the Lakers’ 113-109 victory over the Knicks at the beginning of March, LeBron James confronted ESPN’s Stephen A Smith courtside at the Crypto.com Arena. This brief spat propelled the pair to the top of the sports news agenda, with the public feud spilling out into the media and has, rather predictably, gone viral.
BEO Betting Odds are predicting a trend towards Stephen A Smith’s next courtside confrontation to be with Bronny James ::: Discover the latest Bet Entertainment Odds predictions for this market
Reasons for the Confrontation
Initially, there was plenty of speculation surrounding the dispute with social media users throwing in a number of theories for the much-publicized showdown. It has recently been revealed that LeBron took umbridge with Smith’s comments surrounding his son and Lakers teammate, Bronny. The host has previously suggested that the 20-year old Guard isn’t ready to step up to NBA, before suggesting that the sole reason for his selection is down to his father. Nevertheless, Bronny has subsequently impressed when setting career highs, amassing 17 points and five assists in a recent defeat to the Bucks.
Smith isn’t the only analyst to have aired his views on the subject, yet, he has arguably been the most vocal and LeBron’s protective instincts have clearly kicked in.
LEADERBOARD
What NBA Player will be next to Confront Stephen A Smith Live at an NBA Game
| # | Bet Options | Chance to Win | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied Projected Winner Bronny James | 53.11% | ||
| Implied Projected Winner Draymond Green | 25% | ||
| Implied Projected Winner Kevin Durant | 6.25% |
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer claimed that the ESPN host never attends practice or a shoot-around, before adding that he is a ‘clown’ who sits in his comfy TV studio ‘talking s**t’.
Both parties have subsequently addressed the dispute on live TV and on various podcasts with Smith suggesting that the pair may never talk again.
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Who is Stephen A Smith?
Stephen A Smith is a TV and podcast host who features regularly on ESPN. He makes frequent appearances on the SportsCenter and NBA Countdown and is a commentator on First Take. More recently, he has broken into both UFC and soccer coverage for the network.
The 57-year-old, who started his career in print media, is renowned for his provocative approach and isn’t afraid of criticising both franchises and individuals.
The Bronx-born analyst rarely shies away from airing his views and has regularly courted controversy with his opinions. He was suspended for a week back in 2014 following his comments on domestic abuse and has also been critcised for his divisive remarks on female soccer players.
His opinions have transcended various sports including NHL and NFL. His intense criticism of JaMarcus Russell was one of his more memorable moments, whereas outside of sport, he was also criticised for calling actress Maggie Gyllenhaal ‘Ugly’.
Smith has also moonlighted as an actor, appearing in three films and making various cameos in shows such as General Hospital and Luke Cage.
Who is Stephen A Smith Likely to Confront Next?
The ongoing grievance with LeBron isn’t the first time that the reporter and analyst has fallen out with NBA stars. He upset Kevin Durant with his comments over a potential move to the GSW. Durant accused him of ‘lying’, although the pair has since made up. He’s also upset Jason Whitlock, and was also involved in a tense interaction with Terrell Owens. Smith has also been involved in a long-running feud with Kwame Adams after he suggested the no.1 overall draft pick was a ‘bonafide scrub’.
He is no stranger to confrontation and the altercation with LeBron is unlikely to be his last high-profile spat.
The BEO predictions suggest that Bronny James could be next, however, he may be advised by his dad to let his basketball do the talking. James is likely to have plenty of fire in his belly and if confronted directly by Smith, he may be forced to defend himself.
Draymond Green is another player who has not escaped criticism from the TV and podcast host. He’s recently been called out his confident proclamation of GSW’s title-winning credentials and there has been plenty of backlash. Green has also been supportive of LeBron James and has described Smith’s comments as ‘weak’. There could easily be something bubbling here.
Although most of the previous disagreements with Kevin Durant now appear to have been settled, there is still a chance of them resurfacing. Durant isn’t likely to hold back and is one of the more vocal players on social media. He isn’t going to accept any further criticism from the TV host.
If you believe that Stephen A Smith will confront Draymond Green during a live NBA broadcast, you could win $4o0 by betting $100 if it happens.
