Stephen A. Smith takes his expression of liberty all too seriously, but has he gone too far this time? As the Pacers and Thunder lock horns in a rare high-stakes NBA Finals—every possession a war, every bucket and every Game hard-earned—Smith managed to steal the spotlight with a fiery jab at the city of Memphis. While fans were glued to the grit and grind of the Pacers’ last-minute dances around defenders and Jalen Williams draining clutch shots, Smith’s comments lit up social media. So, what exactly did Stephen A. say to spark such a storm, which drew support from a former Lakers star and three-time champ?
“The people in Memphis, it’s a great sports town, great fans, great people, but there’s an element there where cats like Jimmy Butler and others don’t feel like it’s the safest environment, …. “I’m talking to the local authorities in Memphis. You’ve got to clean some of that stuff up because it’s dissuasive to NBA players. They have talked about it. I know, they’ve told me. That’s all I’m saying.”
When you say this, you gaslight an entire city against you. And there are no goodies to guess that Stephen A. is the mouth behind the mess. Citing some NBA players as his source, Smith claimed that they don’t feel “safe” in Memphis. He added that the free agents are reluctant to move to the Grizzlies for the same reason. While discussing Ja Morant’s future with the Grizzlies, he praised the people of the city and their passion for the sport, but went on to drop his controversial take, which gained a former Lakers’ support.
This quickly landed the First Take host in hot water, with many calling him out. Similarly, former NBA player Danny Green was asked about Smith’s comment during his latest conversation with TMZ. Weighing in on the situation, Green shared his own experience. Interestingly, he shared that there could be another reason behind it. He says that it could be because he feels Memphis isn’t a destination city. “It’s good on taxes, but it’s just not a city that’s pretty I guess,” he added. When we analyzed deeper about his experience, Green added that the players must be careful in certain areas.
“Obviously don’t do silly things like going to certain places by yourself at certain times of day or night,” Green added. But wait, fans need people of the city need not take this to heart as he concluded: “But the city usually respects the players, but yes, you do have to be careful,” Green explained. According to them, like any other city, one should be careful in Memphis, too, but with the guard raised a bit higher. And you take that tip when it comes from someone who has spent nearly a year in Memphis playing for the Grizzlies in 2022.
Stephen A. Smith on Good Morning America to talk about his interview with Andrew Cuomo about running for Mayor Featuring: Stephen A. Smith Where: New York City, New York, United States When: 04 Mar 2025 Credit: Roger Wong/INSTARimages EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR USE BY NEWSPAPERS BASED IN THE UK. Copyright: xRogerxWongx instar54577212
Now, this fresh perspective on the matter might take the debate in a different direction. It turns out Green isn’t the only one. Ex-Miami Heat player Norris Cole also supported Smith and said, “Memphis is cool for certain people, but for others it ain’t.” On the other side, many NBA veterans and notable members of the city criticized Smith’s take.
Ja Morant voiced harsh criticism of Stephen A. Smith’s take on Memphis
The Grizzlies’ star, Ja Morant, wasn’t impressed with the remark. While criticizing the ESPN analyst, he also called his sources fake, using the cap emoji. Taking it to social media, he said, “Instead of focusing on the performances we seen from jdub/shai, tj/siakam, how this series is going. We say sumn negative about a city/team on a national level.”
Desmond Bane, who spent five seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies before being traded to the Orlando Magic, also pushed back against the claims. On the Young Man and the Three podcast, Bane said, “Yeah, it’s got its rough parts, but that’s how every city is. Memphis is a beautiful place. They’ve got a great organization. Anybody that goes there will be happy with what they got going on for sure,” The local people of Memphis have also argued the same.
In a conversation with Action News 5, locals Carrie and Arthur Wright urged that the city isn’t the “worst place” to live in. Ted Townsend from the Greater Memphis Chamber emphasizes Memphis’s economic growth, highlighting 44 ongoing projects in their development pipeline as reportedly crucial opportunities for the city. Still, as the debate swirls online and across media platforms, Smith’s comments continue to divide opinions and fuel an intense conversation about perception versus reality. What is your take on this? Do let us know.
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