“Kyrie was helped to the free throw line where he sank both free throws with tears streaming down his face,” said Stephen A. Smith in a heartfelt tone. It’s a tone that the veteran analyst rarely used for the Dallas Mavericks guard. On Monday, Kai left the NBA world in emotional turmoil after he tore his ACL, resulting in a season-ending injury. This not only moved the fans but also Smith, who previously ruthlessly criticized the star on various occasions.
Last night, the 57-year-old took an unusual route, an emotional monologue, giving his flowers to Irving and his family. Featuring on the latest episode of Stephen A. Smith Show, addressed the dreadful injury in the very first segment. “We wish him nothing but the best. My prayers are with you, brother… Just know that I’m rooting for you, bro,” said Smith. But before making his wholesome statement, he came clean on his relationship with Uncle Drew.
“Kyrie Irving and I have had our differences in the past, years ago. Particularly with COVID going on, some of the situations that he’s gotten himself into I’ve never been shy,” said the ESPN reporter. Smith was kind with his words this time because, in the past, he wasn’t. Criticizing the baller’s stance against the vaccine mandate during COVID-19, he went on an all-out rant where he labeled Irving “flat-out stupid”. More importantly, Smith mocked him on live TV for calling himself a “martyr”.
Moreover, SAS dealt with Kai’s other controversial period in the same manner where Irving had shared supposedly ‘anti-Semitic’ tweets. Above all, he involved the 9x All-Star’s dad, Drederick Irving. However, now he wanted to come clean. In his emotional monologue, Smith added, “We’ve even had differences in the past where I had involved his daddy and I’ve gotten to know his daddy and now he and I get along… getting to know him knowing what we’ve seen from Kyrie Irving, we wish him nothing but the best.”
It’s strange and wholesome at the same time that a person who outrightly criticized has turned around completely. Let’s find out what SAS said about Irving and particularly his dad.
Stephen A. Smith on Kyrie Irving and his dad
It was a turbulent period in Kyrie Irving‘s career when he took his talents to the Brooklyn Nets. After facing a severe backlash on his stance against the vaccine mandate, just as fans moved on from the controversy, he dropped those tweets. The Nets had to suspend him and Nike pitched in and withdrew the shoe contract.
The NBA world at that time had one thing to talk about and it was Kyrie and his controversies. Stephen A. Smith, who never shied away from making his mark on the developments in the basketball realm came into the picture. He went on to call Irving, “one of the most delusional athletes in American history.”
Feb 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) brings the ball up court against the Golden State Warriors during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
He didn’t stop at that. Smith dragged Drederick Irving into the picture, saying, “Kyrie and I have our differences on a personal level, which is none of anybody’s business, and I’ll never tell why… He knows why. And his daddy knows why.. They know how I feel about how they’ve acted towards me and they know how I feel about them and I know how they feel about me.”
Later, the issue came to a close when Irving apologized for his act in public and everyone moved on from it. So did SAS! Now, the equation seemed to have changed. Can we expect Smith to treat Kai differently in his monologues going forward? Let us know in the comments.
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