Stephen A. Smith says he has personal beef with 1 NBA star

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

It is safe to say that Stephen A. Smith will not be the best man at one NBA star’s wedding.

Speaking this week on “The Mike Missanelli Podcast,” the ESPN personality Smith admitted that he has “personal” issues with Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving. Smith declined to get into any specifics but indicated that he has problems with both Irving and Irving’s father Drederick as well.

“Kyrie and I have our differences on a personal level, which is none of anybody’s business, and I’ll never tell why,” said Smith. “He knows why, okay? And his daddy knows why. They know how I feel about how they’ve acted towards me, and they know how I feel about them, and I know how they feel about me.”

Smith is known for being especially critical of Irving on ESPN’s “First Take.” One rant we heard from Smith on Irving not too long ago was particularly harsh. It even got to the point that Smith’s co-host, Jay Williams, recently called him out for a perceived bias against the eight-time All-Star Irving.

Serious sparks are flying between Stephen A. Smith and Jay Williams over Kyrie Irving pic.twitter.com/Cp7MaSeTQD

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 6, 2023

Viewers tune in to Smith because he speaks his mind and pulls no punches on those who deserve to be roasted. But some of Smith’s criticisms can indeed get a little personal (as we have seen with other NBA stars too).