A satirical sports Twitter account put out a fake story about Kyrie Irving and James Harden nearly two months ago, and it would appear a second ESPN personality has fallen victim to it.
ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins praised Irving last month following a convincing Brooklyn Nets win over the Philadelphia 76ers. In doing so, he shared an anecdote about Irving “going at” Harden in practice when the two were teammates. The only explanation was that Perkins was referencing a tweet from Ballsack Sports, which makes up fake stories but presents them on Twitter as if they’re real news.
Kyrie Irving and James Harden got into “brief” physical altercation after Kyrie called the 32 year-old superstar “Washed” during one scrimmage. pic.twitter.com/zx7hXolipO
— Ballsack Sports (@BallsackSports) February 11, 2022
Fast-forward to Monday, and it appears Stephen A. Smith may have fallen for the exact same report. When discussing the 76ers’ recent struggles on “First Take,” Smith mentioned how reports stated that Irving looked at Harden in practice and told him he’s “washed up.”
😭😭😭😭 “according to reports” https://t.co/DxFWRsaK0M pic.twitter.com/oQBVSLXvIQ
— Ballsack Sports (@BallsackSports) April 4, 2022
What report was Smith referencing? To our knowledge, no one “reported” that other than Ballsack Sports.
Smith obviously didn’t see what happened to Perkins.
H/T Complex
Photo: Dec 18, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith broadcasts before a game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
