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“You’ve Got the Nerve to Say That on National TV!”: Enraged Stephen A. Smith Accused of ‘Getting Personal’ with Kyrie Irving by Ex-NBA Star

Published 02/06/2023, 3:23 PM EST

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The shocking news of Kyrie Irving getting traded to the Dallas Mavericks took the NBA world by storm over the weekend. Subsequently, popular shows like First Take and Skip and Shannon: Undisputed proceeded to react to the riveting developments of the fiasco on Monday morning. On ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith took center stage alongside Jay Williams, Molly Qerim, and Tim Legler. However, while on air on national TV, Smith and Williams got into a heated debate while discussing Kyrie Irving.

Smith, who has notoriously berated Irving on his shows and podcasts over the years, fiercely locked horns with the former NBA guard for getting ‘personal’ about the Nets star. 

Stephen A. Smith and Jay Williams lock horns on Kyrie Irving

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The polarizing antics of Kyrie Irving over the years have worsened his relationship with most in the NBA world, especially the media. Likewise, one of the biggest names in NBA media, Stephen A. Smith, has often criticized Irving’s actions both on and off the court. Similarly, on Monday morning’s First Take, Smith expressed his issues with the now Dallas Mavericks star point guard. 

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On national TV, Smith harped on Irving’s issues as a player. He extensively pointed out that the 8x All-Star is unreliable and was a disaster in Brooklyn. Furthermore, Smith also questioned his future in Dallas. Subsequently, after all the criticisms hurled by Smith, Williams, who was on the other side of the table, clapped back at some of Smith’s comments. 

Williams, who is a member of the NBA Retired Players Association, questioned Stephen A’s motives behind his criticism of Irving. Consequently, the two got into a heated exchange on air. The former Chicago Bulls guard seemingly accused Smith of being too preoccupied with Irving’s faults rather than the major headlines. He also candidly accused Smith of ‘getting too personal’ on the matter. 

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Subsequently, in an effort to defend himself, the millionaire First Take host exclaimed, “You of all people with all the interest you have got the nerve to say that on national TV and telling me I am getting personal with a player…I don’t lose any sleep over Kyrie Irving!”

However, before things got out of hand, Molly Qerim interrupted the two and called the segment off. 

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Who do you think was right? Smith or Williams? Let us know in the comments below. 

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Written by:

K Shrijith

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K Shrijith is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Currently pursuing his BBA degree, Shrijith has a keen interest in the world of finance. In fact, he has past experience in equity research and writing research reports on the subject of finance.
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Edited by:

Satagni Sikder