Stephen A. Smith on Monday had quite possibly his most insufferable rant to date, and anyone who is familiar with the ESPN reporter can tell you he has had some horrible ones.
Last Week, Smith created some serious buzz when he reported that he has heard Kevin Durant is leaning toward signing with the Lakers if he leaves Oklahoma City. Smith didn’t cite any sources close to Durant, and K.D. later called Stephen A. a liar and said there is no way Smith has spoken with anyone who knows Durant’s intentions.
That really offended Smith. During ESPN’s “First Take” Monday morning, Smith went off on Durant and bragged about his credentials in one of the most egotistical five-minute rants you will ever hear.
“Since when do I need to sit there and speak to people that you deem trustworthy individuals to know what’s going on with you?” Smith asked. “My career spans 20-plus years. How many reporters do you know that have broken as many stories as me?
“I am a black man on national television with a big mouth, and I will still stand up here today and put my resume up against anybody in this industry.”
Smith’s initial beef was with other publications that have cast doubts on his reports. He then addressed Durant directly. At one point, it sounded like Stephen A. was going to tell K.D. he knows more about him than his own mother.
“We don’t have to talk to you to talk about you,” Smith said. “You want to start something? That’s just not the wise thing to do, especially when you have no validity. I will repeat, if Kevin Durant decides to leave OKC, I’m hearing that L.A. is a prime spot he’s considering. If I was lying Kevin Durant would have signed his extension with OKC.”
Then came the WWE-style finish, during which Smith looked right at the camera and borderline threatened Durant.
“You don’t want to make an enemy out of me,” he said. “And I am looking right to the camera. And I’ll say it again. You do not want to make an enemy out of me. I’m not having it. I’ve done nothing wrong and I’m not gonna tolerate it.”
If watching Stephen A. Smith beat his chest for five minutes is something you’re interested in, you have to check out the full segment:
