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ESPN’s Best Stephen A. Smith Admits Losing 6 Basketball Bets to $2.5 Billion Worth Hip Hop Legend

Published 03/22/2024, 9:47 PM EDT

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Veteran analyst Stephen A. Smith has pioneered the sports broadcasting world. He has been the face of ESPN for over two decades and continues to make millions with his hot takes and vibrant personality. Despite being a Live TV basketball expert, Stephen A.’s knowledge of the game has frequently been questioned by the fans. And the analyst added more fuel to the fire after admitting to getting outsmarted by Hip-Hop legend Jay-Z six times on basketball terms.

Stephen A. Smith did a dedicated episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show to answer fan questions. When a fan asked the analyst which celebrity he would pick to coach his team in the NCAA tournament, Stephen A. replied, “Are you ready for this? Jay-Z!” Smith justified his answer with an honest confession about the $2.5 Billion worth hip-hop artist, “The brother knows his basketball. I have lost about 6 bets to him, I ain’t gonna lie to you.” The analyst revealed that Jay-Z got the better of him 6 times while he could only beat him once.

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The ESPN analyst further called Jay-Z inspirational and relatable to the younger generation. That is why Stephen A. believes Jay-Z would be a perfect celebrity coach for his NCAA team. “Clearly he is inspirational, clearly he vibes with the younger generation. He can get max efforts from them,” Smith iterates. While fans always doubted Stephen A.’s on-court abilities, his Jay-Z confession further makes the NBA World question his basketball knowledge, despite talking about it and having access all through his career.

Stephen A. Smith’s basketball knowledge stumbles

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It is clear from Stephen A. Smith’s past that he is not the most athletic person. Stephen A.’s own ESPN crew trolled him in 2022 after they revealed his abysmal final college season average of 1.5 points per game on the air. The analyst immediately started making excuses and claimed he only played one game due to an injury. However, it is mathematically impossible to average 1.5 points in one game.

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The New Orleans Pelicans’ social media page even made a hilarious reel of Stephen A.’s career lowlights. That video instantly went viral and has garnered over 6.9 million views.

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Stephen A. Smith also injured himself before this year’s All-Star Weekend while playing 1-on-1 with NFL star Micah Parsons. Smith suffered an embarrassing fall while taking a jump shot from the left wing, leading to an injured ankle. Moments like these make the fans doubt Stephen A.’s credibility. However, no one can deny his broadcasting accomplishments. Even though Stephen A. Smith lacks basketball skills and even gets outsmarted by Jay-Z, he has managed to make First Take one of the top-rated sports-related shows on television.

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Written by:

Rohan Bhaunt

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Rohan Singh Bhaunt, an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, boasts a background as a divisional basketball player and an NBA enthusiast spanning over a decade. His extensive knowledge of the sport enables him to intricately explore its nuances, presenting a fresh outlook. Rohan's dive into the NBA newsdesk at ES commenced with witnessing LeBron James secure his inaugural championship in Miami.
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Edited by:

Shivatmika Manvi