I have previously expressed my preference for the Stephen A. Smith who appears on YouTube over the one who is on ESPN. On his YouTube show, which is not affiliated with ESPN, he appears to be more genuine as compared to the packaged version of Smith that is presented on ESPN every day.
In the context of wrestling, it is often said that the most successful characters are those that closely resemble the real-life personalities of the wrestlers. Similarly, Smith appears to be more at ease on YouTube where he can freely express his opinions without any constraints, unlike on ESPN where he may feel more restricted under the watchful eye of his employer.
During a recent episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, the ESPN on-air personality made it clear he wasn’t happy about not getting an invite to the star-studded affair. “I got a little beef with my man, Michael Rubin,” Smith said, as seen in the clip below. “You know, there was this little shindig in the Hamptons, a star-studded event in the Hamptons. I’m seeing Beyoncé and Jay-Z there. I’m seeing J. Lo there. I’m seeing LaLa Anthony and Kim Kardashian, Lori Harvey, Justine Skye, Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner. I mean the list goes on and on.”
He went on to highlight some of the notable sports figures there, too, and questioned whether Rubin considers him a friend or not. “I see the fellas there. Micah Parsons, James Harden was there. Joel Embiid was there. Jayson Tatum was there. Tobias Harris was there. You know, Tom Brady was there. Michael Rubin, I ain’t get no invite man,” he said. “It’s a’ight though. Thought I was your homie. Now you act like you don’t even know me. Alright, I understand, Michael Rubin. I understand.”
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He said the party looked like it was a “good time” and pondered why fellow sports journalist and broadcaster Taylor Rooks got an invite but he didn’t. “She’s in this industry, she’s in the sports industry. How Taylor Rooks get invited but I don’t get invited?” he asked. “Well, we know the answer as to why, is that I don’t look like Taylor Rooks. Okay. I understand. I would have invited her before me too, I ain’t gonna lie. She’s got a bright future in this business, by the way.”
It seems like Smith made a sarcastic comment, but it’s evident that he’s interested in attending next year’s event. Michael Rubin responded and shared how Rooks managed to bypass the media restrictions. Smith better step up his watch game as the cheapest watch at the party costs $50k, but he can definitely afford it.
We got a little beef for the White Party snub @michaelrubin! pic.twitter.com/U9bknYwsRs
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) July 6, 2023
I love you and you my guy!! @TaylorRooks might have got the special carve out to the no media rule – she came w my closet friends! But I really love you !!❤️❤️
— Michael Rubin (@michaelrubin) July 6, 2023