Stephen A. Smith had plenty to say Monday about fans dissing him for staying mum on Josh Giddey, the Oklahoma City Thunder star who’s been accused of having an improper relationship with a minor. (Watch the video below.)
ESPN’s Malika Andrews has also been criticized for holding back on Giddey, but Smith finally had enough on Monday.
“You know why Stephen A. hasn’t said anything? Because you could get sued, idiots,” Smith said during an extended diatribe. “You don’t just go out there running your damn mouth over something this serious.”
The NBA announced last week that it was investigating allegations that Giddey, a 21-year-old guard from Australia, had an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl after photos of him purportedly with a high school junior surfaced online.
Giddey declined to comment.
But Smith, who is Black, apparently felt the heat for withholding his take on Giddey, who is white.
“Let me say this to all y’all out there who have been clamoring for me to touch on this subject — y’all are getting on my last damn nerves,” Smith said on the “Stephen A. Smith Show.”
“Could you try to be responsible?” he yelled. “Could you try? That’s all I’m asking. What do you want Stephen A. to say? ‘Where you at Stephen A? If this was a brother...’ Wait a minute: If it was a brother, I would have treated it with the same level of sensitivity.”
He explained, “We don’t know anything. We know there is an investigation going on. That is all we know. We don’t know anything else.”
Smith pointed out the circumstances where he’d have more freedom to comment.
“A fight that took place on... a basketball court? Sure,” he said. “Allegations where the alleged victim is identified? Sure. Where the specification of the crime is illuminated? Sure. But this clamoring to comment about something with no information, no definitive facts — you can’t do it.”
He continued, “You can do it on social media with your troll-ass selves. You can do it then because you don’t have any real accountability. Why don’t you try using your social media account? And go into Josh Giddey and flat out accusing and stating it as a point of fact — make sure you use your name and address, too — because he can probably sue you.”
He then added, “If I had a clue, I would have spoken on it, but I don’t and it’s why I haven’t said anything. My advice to you all is to shut the hell up and do the same. The investigation’s ongoing. We’re going to find out something. When we find out more information, we’ll speak on it.”
Smith allowed that Giddey’s “no comment” sounded “suspicious, no doubt about it... but that’s not enough to engage in dialogue over it.”
Giddey has continued to play through the investigation, averaging 12.1 points and 4.8 assists per game.