When you think of Stephen A. Smith, you think loud takes, spiced-up debates, and the occasional “blasphemous” declaration that sends NBA Twitter into a tailspin. But during Game 4 of the NBA Finals, fans weren’t listening to what Stephen A. had to say—they were watching what he wasn’t doing.

Caught red-handed (or red-thumbed?), Stephen A. was spotted playing solitaire on his phone while the Pacers and Thunder were locked in a Finals duel in Indianapolis. Yes, solitaire—like it was 2006 and he was trying to kill time during a long airport layover. Fans weren’t impressed. In fact, Kevin Durant even uploaded the viral picture on his Instagram story, captioning it, “CMON STEVE”

And it didn’t help that this happened just hours after Stephen A. Smith doubled down on his now-viral claim that Tyrese Haliburton isn’t a superstar. Coincidence? Maybe. Bad optics? Definitely. Let’s rewind. On First Take, Stephen A. made waves by saying Haliburton doesn’t qualify as a superstar because of inconsistency: “There have been at least 13 or 14 games this year where he scored in single digits — that’s not a superstar in this league.”

He went on to draw comparisons between Haliburton and guys like Jalen Brunson, who’s been carrying the Knicks, and real heavy-hitters like LeBron, Steph, Giannis, and Jokic—players who bring the smoke every single night, rain or shine.

Now, let’s be fair—Stephen A. wasn’t saying Haliburton isn’t good. He even praised the Pacers guard for his clutch shooting and his Game 1 buzzer-beater in the Eastern Conference Finals. But his argument? Clutch ≠ consistency. And consistency, in his eyes, is what separates the stars from the superstars. The fans, however, weren’t buying it. Especially not Pacers fans, who lit up Reddit faster than Isaiah Joe’s shot clock minutes. They pointed out that Haliburton was the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year and had been the backbone of the Pacers’ historic Finals run—something Indiana hadn’t seen since 2000.

But here’s the thing—this isn’t the first time Stephen A. Smith has made waves with his commentary. Remember when he criticized Shohei Ohtani for needing a translator, sparking accusations of xenophobia? Or when he claimed Jalen Green wasn’t ready to be the Rockets’ franchise face, just four games into a cold stretch? Even recently, he’s found himself trading jabs with LeBron James after making some “parenting” remarks about Bronny that went down like a Kendrick Perkins crossover attempt. And we all remember the infamous “Aaron Rodgers is a baaaad man” saga, where he called Kirk Cousins a pretender in the most animated fashion possible.

Stephen A. Smith has made a career off walking the tightrope between insight and incitement. And most of the time, it works. But when fans caught him not even watching the game, it opened the floodgates. Especially when you’re taking swipes at Haliburton while playing solitaire during his game. It’s like showing up to critique someone’s cooking while eating McDonald’s in their kitchen.

Fan Reactions: Really, Stephen A., you gonna do that now?

Of course, when a huge name like SAS does something so controversial NBA community had to speak, lets look at the craziest of them all:

“@PatrickTuggles Fraud got busted. He gonna be screaming come Monday about it though.” One viewer summed up the mood perfectly: “Fraud got busted.” This came right after video surfaced of Stephen A. clearly glued to his phone during Game 4—playing Solitaire. Not checking stats. Not tweeting analysis. Just straight up shuffling cards like he was bored on a Southwest flight. He later acknowledged the moment, but his explanation hasn’t really cleared anything up. “Yep! That’s me. Who would’ve thought….I can multi-task. Especially during TIMEOUTS! “ he said. Although instantly, fans proved that wrong as well.

“He did this to the Nuggets in Denver in 2023. He’s not even a basketball fan. Let alone an expert. He’s a meme.” Harsh? Maybe. But this isn’t the first time Stephen A.’s credibility has taken a hit. In Denver last year, he was also accused of phoning it in (literally and figuratively). Add that to a growing list of sketchy calls—like saying Jalen Green “wasn’t ready” for the league, misinterpreting Shohei Ohtani’s translator situation in MLB, or swearing LeBron James wouldn’t sniff the Finals because of “Bronny drama.” Each one added fuel to the idea that he’s leaning more toward viral soundbites than sound judgment. Hence the meme status.

“Bro he’s so mad the Pacers aren’t getting swept.” There’s also this: fans think Stephen A. is straight-up salty that the Pacers are actually hanging in there. Before the series, he called Tyrese Haliburton “ignorant,” brushing off the All-Star’s ability to lead a Finals-caliber team. But here they are, battling it out at 2-2 against OKC after big wins. Fans aren’t just mocking him—they’re calling out how his constant underestimation of Indiana is aging worse than a mid-season Knicks prediction.

“@espn gave this guy 100 million + to play video games on his phone. Nice look! … How lame can you be to play solitaire at an NBA finals game?” This was the knockout punch from viewers: Stephen A. reportedly just signed a $100 million+ deal with ESPN. And yet, during the highest-stakes game of the season, he’s caught playing phone games like it’s 2009. Fans expected next-level breakdowns and insight—but got Microsoft Windows vibes instead. No matter how seasoned you are, that’s not a good look when your job is literally to be locked in.

In case you missed it, Game 4 wasn’t just another night—it was a full-on battle. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 35 points on a sizzling 50% shooting night, Alex Caruso was out there cooking with 77.8% from the field, and Jalen Williams continued his steady 27-point showing. Meanwhile, Haliburton logged 18 points and 7 assists on 46.7% shooting—not exactly “single-digit scrub” numbers.

Pascal Siakam chipped in with 20 points and 8 boards, Obi Toppin had a quietly efficient 17, and Indiana hung in the fight despite Thunder dominance on the glass. So yeah, if you were going to take notes on Haliburton’s superstar credentials—or lack thereof—this was the game to watch. Not exactly the ideal time to bust out Microsoft Solitaire.

This isn’t a one-off either. There was the time he left his laptop open mid-show, letting everyone catch a glimpse of his inbox while talking about Kevin Durant. Or when he juggled his SiriusXM show during First Take, leading co-host Molly Qerim to call him out live.

Fans have noticed. Critics say the show has become more about Stephen A.’s theatrics than actual basketball analysis. More Broadway than breakdown. And while that’s part of the appeal—let’s be honest, we love the drama—it’s also starting to feel like Stephen A. is stretching himself thinner than Victor Wembanyama’s ankles.

Look, Stephen A. Smith is still the face of ESPN basketball coverage. He’s bombastic, opinionated, and knows how to spark national conversation like few others. But when you’re known for critiquing stars for inconsistency—and then get caught slacking mid-Finals—it’s going to raise eyebrows.

Is Tyrese Haliburton a superstar? That’s up for debate. But is Stephen A. Smith still watching the games he’s paid to talk about? That might be the bigger question.

Just make sure you’re not playing solitaire when you answer it.