“I have had numerous people who have wanted me to come on their podcast… but I told them to wait. I got to do Gil’s Arena first,” Stephen A. Smith recently said on his podcast. It’s been a long wait. But don’t expect a friendly reunion—there’s history behind this meeting.
Last year, when Smith labeled Jaylen Brown as “not a marketable player,” it didn’t sit well with ex-Warriors star Gilbert Arenas. He didn’t hold back, firing off, “You are not important, you are a vessel for information. You are a preacher, not god.” And just like that, the gloves were off. Smith didn’t let it slide either, clapping back with, “Get the hell over it. It doesn’t happen.” But things really heated up when he called out Rashad McCants.
“Rashad McCants, yeah, we’ll talk bro. I can’t wait for that conversation… the second I get an invite, the second I have time, we’re going to have those conversations.” Gil and Crew send him an invite. And now, after all the talk, the countdown is officially over.
“He will be here f—– tomorrow,” Gilbert Arenas announced on his Gil’s Arena podcast, setting the stage for what’s about to go down. “Make sure them two is on,” Smith said, referring to McCants and Kenyon Martin as per Arenas. And host Josiah Johnson pointed out it had been 137 days since Smith first agreed to appear. So how the Gil’s Arena react to this news?
Rashad McCants is more than ready. Posting on X, he wrote, “Y’all know what time it is right!!!! Bag time!!! Ziplock.” Nick Young also hyped up on his Instagram story. “It’s going down tomorrow… tune in,” he wrote. Another Gil’s Arena member, Lexie Brown, jumped in, saying, “Nah I’m pulling up lol.”
But while Arenas recently made an appearance on ESPN, any hopes of a truce with Smith seem far-fetched.
Gil’s ESPN appearance will not help Stephen A. Smith
It’s no secret that Gilbert Arenas and his Gil’s Arena crew have had their fair share of issues with mainstream sports analysts. Former NBA star Kenyon Martin made it clear, saying, “As athletes, we have a problem with Skips, the Stephen A’s, these people…” Arenas himself has never shied away from calling out Stephen A. Smith, often challenging the narratives pushed by traditional media.
Interestingly, Arenas recently appeared on First Take, stepping into Smith’s world for a change. But when he returned to his own show, he pointed out the stark difference in formats.
“Well, you know obviously it’s not our style, where we can go back and forth, you know everything is kind of like timed.”
His crew, however, wasn’t as focused on that. Martin quickly interrupted, waving his hand and pressing the real question—why had Smith been dodging Gil’s Arena? The crew wasn’t about to let Smith off the hook, especially after he had publicly committed to joining them back in October.
Arenas revealed that Smith could only make time on a Friday due to his ESPN commitments. But Martin wasn’t buying it.
“We shoot Monday through Thursday 11:30 to 2, make time,” he shot back. “You made time to go when his a– was on there, right?” Yet, despite the skepticism, Arenas assured them, “He said he ready.”
And with the wait is over, it’s only a matter of time before all the talk turns into action.
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