It is important to remember at all times, we are talking about sports.
There are times when sports crossover into something more serious, and that is when I think getting emotional is warranted. There are times in Kyrie Irving’s past I could understand why some would get emotionally invested in the story, but in this case, it is just a basketball trade.
There is no need to be upset or angry about it. Either you think Kyrie is a team killer, or he will lead the Mavs to glory. You can have those takes without taking personal shots.
I believe everything is scripted, especially with First Take, because the more personal it gets, the better the ratings, so I would take this disagreement between Stephen A. Smith with a grain of salt.
Here is how it all went down via Awful Announcing.
During the argument over Kyrie Irving, Smith and Williams went off the rails to discuss the Capitol insurrection, George Floyd, COVID-19, vaccines and antisemitism. During the argument over Kyrie Irving, Smith crudely mocked Williams for saying “interesting,” and he bluntly claimed his opinion is valued more than the former NBA player’s.
“Oh, I’m always triggered,” Smith responded, a claim that somehow only heightened the tensions during this debate. The declaration prompted an awkward exchange as Williams and Smith went back and forth with “no you’re not,” vs “yes I am” three times before show host Molly Qerim interjected.
“Are we talking about Kyrie, or is this personal?” Qerim asked.
“We’ve both got a lot to say,” Williams said.
“You do?” Smith asked. “Then say it, Jay. Then say it, Jay. Then say it, Jay.”
Smith is the big boss at First Take, so while challenging him is good for the show, there is only so far you can go if you don’t want to get banned.
Flip the page for the video promoted by ESPN that should tell you something.
