Stephen A. Smith’s Solitaire Stain Gains Support as Ex-NBA Champ Uses “50 Cent” to Strengthen His Case

It’s nothing surprising to see Stephen A. Smith making headlines for his hot takes. But this time, he is going viral for a surprising season! During Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the OKC Thunder, a fan snapped a picture of Smith playing solitaire on his phone. And all hell broke loose! While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was putting on a masterclass, Smith seemed focused on cards instead of court action. The photo exploded online, and it didn’t take long before Kevin Durant re-shared it with a blunt caption: “CMON STEVE.” As criticism poured in, Stephen A. had to jump into quick damage control.

He retweeted the post, owning up with humor: “Yep! That’s me. Who would’ve thought….I can multitask. Especially during TIMEOUTS! Hope y’all are enjoying the NBA Finals. This is going 7 games now, peeps!” But just when things looked like they might cool off, a video surfaced. It clearly showed Smith playing while the game was happening, not during a break. The internet caught fire again, and fans called out the contradiction. The claim of multitasking during timeouts? Pretty much busted. Then, All The Smoke’s Instagram added fuel to the fire.

They posted a clip of Matt Barnes and Keyon Dooling reacting to the incident. Barnes kicked off with: “Our guy Stephen A got caught slipping, playing solitary during the NBA finals, claiming it was during a commercial break.” They laughed, debated whether it was just a “spark” or full-on “fire,” and even poked fun at Smith’s explanation. Keyon joked, “That is somebody who has such a big capacity to be great and always have to be on. He’s got to figure out ways to, you know what I mean, like, you know, disconnect from the grind.” But doing so at the game had a mixed reaction.

What’s more, they even brought up the rapper 50 Cent to the conversation! Keyon also added sarcastically, “You know what I mean? Like you have to actively pursue, you know what I’m saying? Your relief.” He added that people like Smith need ways to disconnect from the constant grind. Keyon only sees it as “sparks,” and Barnes agreed… well, kind of.

Matt Barnes stated, “The only reason why I’m going to say it’s fire is because Kevin Durant is the one that posted it.” And that’s when the trolling took off, with KD getting dubbed the “50 Cent of the NBA troll game.” In the end, Smith’s solitaire moment turned into a full-on media circus. And somehow, 50 Cent, mental breaks, and Kevin Durant’s trolling all played a role.

Stephen A. Smith fires back and defends his Solitaire moment with no regrets

When Stephen A. Smith faces heat, he doesn’t duck; rather, he doubles down. After going viral for playing Solitaire during Game 4 of the NBA Finals, he didn’t just explain himself; instead, he made it clear he wasn’t apologizing. During a conversation on SiriusXM, Smith didn’t mince words. “I was doing what the hell I always do,” he said, firmly brushing off the backlash. And for those questioning his focus? “Kiss my a–,” he added without hesitation.

Rather than backtrack, Smith painted a bigger picture of his demanding schedule. He reminded listeners that he watches more games than most. “I watch over 100 games a year,” he explained. “I’m on TV every morning for two hours — 10 hours live – every day.” That’s just one part of his workload. He made it known that “that don’t count Countdown, that don’t count SportsCenter, that don’t count all the obligations that I have.”

So when he picked up his phone mid-game, Smith argued it wasn’t about disrespect, it was about recharging. “If there’s a break in the action… I can play the damn thing for two seconds,” he said. That Solitaire game, for him, was more of a habit than a headline. “I decide to play a little Solitaire, which, by the way, I always do. And I mean always.”

Even with critics circling, Smith held his ground. He pointed out that zooming in from the upper deck doesn’t give the full story. “Somebody is standing over me… watching me, and saying, ‘Oh, he’s playing Solitaire.’” But Smith doesn’t see the problem; he sees multitasking. “If you have had a little break in between, I might’ve been playing it again because I like the game.”

While some would think that Smith would back down, he’s here to hold his ground, even as criticism against him keeps mounting.