Stephen A. Smith has been working with ESPN for over a decade now after transitioning from Print media and then radio. Over the years, Smith has cemented himself as one of the best sportscasters in the world. But he has sometimes stirred controversies with his honest comments. Despite this, he is still regarded as a top analyst. Now, Smith has displayed loyalty to his employer and the show First Take?in a recent social media post that could be a response to an NBA legend’s comments.

ESPN reportedly incurred massive losses recently. This led to a mass layoff by the firm which has come under the cosh. Notably, Stephen A. Smith survived the layoff. He then talked about the losses while reflecting on the firings.

Stephen A. Smith won’t remain silent

A video clip of Charles Barkley’s comment about ESPN from 2016 resurfaced on social media after the mass layoffs. The Philadelphia 76ers legend made this remark during a segment of the show Inside The NBA on TNT. Barkley said, “Not gonna work me like a dog and not pay me.” As the channel’s decision to fire some of its employees came under fire, this clip got a lot of traction.

Amidst this, Stephen A. Smith has now broken his silence. In a recent post, he pressed the importance of First Take?which is a possible response to Chuck’s comments from the past and the people supporting it. The sportscaster shared the video clip on his Instagram handle with the caption, “First take IS the culture”. He reiterated it in his comment and noted the show does not just talk about sports but also about social issues.

Smith claimed the show had given a voice and platform to a lot of people from diverse backgrounds. He said, “You know how many voices have been created in First Take? Do you know how many Black people show up on First Take? How many women show up on First Take? Look at the diversity of opinions, of perspectives, of thoughts, of intel. The hell are you talking about? Respectfully, to anybody that says you don’t know what the f**k you talking about?”?

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The analyst added, “One of the greatest things ESPN has ever done is create the platform that is First Take!”

Smith also noted that the show has been #1 for eleven years for a reason. He stated that he wouldn’t remain silent about the digs at the show anymore.

Kevin Garnett endorsed Charles Barkley’s comments

Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett shared the resurfaced video clip of Charles Barkley‘s comments about ESPN on his Instagram story.

Notably, Garnett’s former teammate Paul Pierce was given marching orders by the sports channel in 2021 after he joined as an analyst in 2017.

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