Responding to the New Orleans Pelicans going after me on Twitter

Responding to the New Orleans Pelicans going after me on Twitter

Let me move on to a subject that’s near and dear to my heart because it’s about me um y’all heard about the New Orleans Pelicans and them trolling your boy Stephen A Yours Truly before we go to break this is the last subject that I wanted to bring up because it involves

Me and that organization um the Pelicans apparently were upset at me over what I had said recently on ESPN about Zion Williamson uh it appeared last Friday on the show get up on ESPN I was on at 9:30 p.m Eastern Standard Time this past Friday live from Minnesota Minneapolis

Minnesota the Pelicans currently is seventh in the Western Conference um they’ve got the guy in Zion Williamson who’s averaging a solid 22 points five rebounds and five assists per game am I still looking for more from him absolutely and because I’m still looking for more from him absolutely and I said

So I want to remind y’all of what I said about Zion get up this past Friday that seemed to ruffle some feathers take a look Zion Williamson it’s not about his game it’s about how many burgers he’s eating and whether or not he’s going to

Be in shape or is he going to keep eating McDonald’s and have chefs clamoring for him to come to their restaurants that’s what he has to prove that the chefs don’t love him any longer okay that he’s committed to playing basketball and being in shape outside of

That you look at New Orleans and you say to yourself okay they can have a chance but you don’t know about it now as you can see that ruffled a few feathers uh because you know you see the full screen right here Will Chamberlain image you

Know you see it right there him and me 100 points with me 1.5 points now of course this is not the first time I have voiced these concerns over Zion Williamson and the Pelican social media team decided to respond by trolling me over my own shortlived basketball career

With this this tweet check this out right here you can see it right here they also put out a video of my finest bloopers as you can see here okay notice that I’m not afraid to show any of it ladies and gentlemen but it wasn’t just a team social media

Coming after me who’s also one a former NBA player one of his former players Antonio Daniels by the way an NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs who’s now a broadcaster for the Pelicans who also has his own show on NBA Radio each week afternoon he had this to say

Later on SiriusXM NBA radio about me quote I’m all for objective fear critiquing of individuals and collectively of teams I felt what Stephen A said this morning of Zion was completely inappropriate and lazy if you have an issue there’s a way to go about addressing that issue the Pelicans have

Won eight of their last nine games but then you wake up this morning and this right here is the topic to me it’s almost gotten to the point where it’s personal stop right there all the fun went out the window the minute Antonio Daniels said that now in the interest of full

Disclosure let me say a couple of things number one any words that I have to say about Antonio Daniels is strictly about his point of view there nothing else I am a frequent guest on his show show I like him personally I think he does a

Great job and I’m cool with him I just disagree with two points that he made number one personal stop I don’t know Zion that well he’s never done anything to me I’ve met him a couple of times his parents and I have spoken on a couple of occasions very

Very nice people yes I’ve spoken to his mommy and daddy yes check that out Antonio Daniels okay my opinions don’t come out of thin air that’s number one it’s not personal I’m rooting for the kid I’m not rooting against him just like I was getting on

Kyrie last year I want you on the court because you’re a superstar what are we seeing from Kyrie Irving on the court right now with the Dallas Mavericks a superstar just like I sit up there and I want James Harden on the basketball court and I want him to show up in the

Postseason why because if he does the Clippers could win the chip I want LeBron James and them on the court I don’t want you sitting out games against the Golden State Warriors but you playing the very next night against San Antonio that’s not what I want it’s not personal I’m a basketball

Fan that want to see the greatness for basketball players clearly a level of greatness I did not possess so let’s get that out the way but then they sit up there and to say lazy well congratulations on that Antonio Daniel this the first time in my career I’ve ever been labeled lazy in

Anything that I’ve done anytime you want my work schedule my brother we can have a conversation let’s see how much work you can put in come on now that was unnecessary you might say well what Stephen A said about Zion was unnecessary well damn it let him speak for

Himself do I have to get into details about the issues that the New Orleans Pelicans have had with keeping him from stuff his face and his stomach do I have to go into detail about how this brother has hidden food literally I’m not speculating hidden food from y’all cuz you work for the

Pelicans too so we wouldn’t know how much he was eating stop stop it you know it’s true I’ve been covering the NBA for 30 years you know how much stuff I could say but you know I never would because I don’t violate people and I don’t violate trust like

That don’t come to me talking about I’m lazy what I was saying was greeny Mike Greenberg was asking about the threats within the Western Conference I specifically said it’s no concern about Zion Williamson the player the concern is about how many burgers he’s going to eat

That’s what I said in other words I wasn’t talking about the recent winning streak I wasn’t talking about their top six spot and avoiding the play in in the Western Conference I was talking about the Long Haul as the playoffs approach April May and June not right now you

Understand English Antonio Daniels you know that’s not what I was saying I was talking about down the road but since you want to bring up laziness how about I bring up when it comes to you honesty how honest are you being about Zion he don’t have a food

Issue the best chefs in New Orleans don’t know him by name they don’t try to shuttle car services to see him to get him because they love his business I’m exaggerating he have a weight Clause they ain’t concerned about his diet and his weight and his country contract I’m making this

Up I’m making this up come on man come on y’all and New Orleans um you didn’t think I was gonna let you off the hook did you I don’t know who put you up to that but you need to be educated a little bit more about Stephen A Smith so

Allow me to educate you number one I don’t give a it doesn’t bother me that you troll me I can take it you see do you realize that at division 2 Winston Salem State I could have been on the court averaging 20 to 25 a game and

I still wouldn’t compare to a single one of y’all who’ve made it to the NBA do you understand that I know that no matter how you gloss over anything meaning myself or any body else I don’t compare to y’all but your stats are wrong one and a

Half points is less than that I was hurt I was hurt go to the hospital in Winston Salem 1989 I cracked my kneecap in half they told me I might never be able to walk the same again and even though I maintained my scholarship I was nothing more than a

Practiced player because I couldn’t run up and down the court more than three or four times without limping how do we know this because I’m 56 and I still limp after running for a little while I’m not lying period you want to throw show me air

Balls when I shot air balls that was with me and James Harden a decade ago when he made me Su shoot in a suit and tie before I did an interview with him with no warm-ups you missed me shooting last week though didn’t you you missed

Me shooting last last year at the finals did you you missed a whole bunch of that’s neither here nor there because it doesn’t matter I couldn’t shine Zion’s shoes nor CJ McCullum more nor Brandon Ingram nor any of them that’s why y’all in the NBA and I’m not but let me tell

You something about you New Orleans because since we want to be up here and we want to make sure that we’re as as we could possibly be let’s talk about the New Orleans Pelicans franchise for a second here you’re in your 22nd season in New Orleans sent your relocation from Charlotte ladies and

Gentlemen do you know that by being named the Hornets and then the Pelicans you have as many names as you do Playoff Series victories in 22 years you’ve won two playoff series in 22 fre years you have the same amount of Playoff Series victories as you do names and you talking about

Me at least I’m not robbing the the public by getting paid for doing for not doing what I’m supposed to be doing which was whenn but I’m not finished that same New Orleans Pelicans team NBA ranked for regular season winning percentage since 2002 2003 you’re 21st out of 30 teams did you know

That how many division titles do you have in 22 years one one Playoff Series victories I already said two playoff record in that time you’re 22 and 33 that’s a 40% winning percentage NBA ranked for postseason win percentage since 2002 2003 25th out of 30 teams oh Conference Finals and NBA Finals

Appearances in that time that would be zero nada I was joking around about Zion Williamson not eating too much we need him healthy on a good diet so he’s strong and he’s powerful I did not imply that he’s not doing it now I said it is

A concern Antonio Daniels I said it is a concern New Orleans Pelicans and I was half joking because I’m rooting for the kid and I’m rooting for the franchise it’s a great City best restaurants in America great fan base I’m might to tease y’all about the Smoothie King

Arena or whatever the hell it was when Anthony Davis was there all of that other stuff but I enjoy my time there David Griffin is a hell of an executive Willie Green is a hell of a coach CJ McCullum is class personify one of the best people you’ll ever meet in your

Life and by the way trolling me I don’t care you want to take a boxing video when I got two torn rot cuffs from from from seven eight years ago and I’m th fine you want to sit up there and show me with a pot belly and me looking you

Clearly haven’t looked at me you’re clearly haven’t seen the transformation I’m 56 and I’m doing it and I’m talking to you about one of your players under the age of 25 who can’t and your response is to troll me instead of noticing your own record your own futility your own

Failures how many times we’ve been looking at the New Orleans Pelicans saying they could be in the West Conference Finals that would be me I’m the one that said that these are facts you wanted facts is that lazy Antonio Daniels is that lazy I want to emphasize I’m only

Addressing his quote not Antonio Daniels he does a hell of a job on the NBA show he’s invited me on on many occasions that I’ve been on and I’ll go back again I love the brother he’s good people I just disagree with his quote we can disagree without being disagreeable you

My brother we good I just disagree with your quote but come on y’all Pelicans really oh by the way I forgot one last thing since you called me out on Friday you’ve lost every game since I mean damn is that not an indication that your priorities need to get in

Order stop worrying about Stephen A Smith there were those before me and there will be those after me what you think they gonna say about you if you continue to be this fule get it together get it together and stop worrying about me and stop worrying about Dallas and Sacramento in Minnesota

And Oklahoma City and the Clippers and the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors that is your enemy those are your opponents those are the people you need to be concerned about as for me I’m gonna say this a couple of things

Number one my boxing coach is begging me to just put out a video because he can’t stand that me leaving that video I like the video up there because I want people to think that’s how I fight so if you roll up on me wrong you’ll get your ass

Kicked that’s me personally I like to thinking I fight like that but no neither here no that I might do another video just to show you what a lie it is but it’s okay you know why it’s okay cuz I’m 56 I’m a grown ass man I’m not trying to

Fight I’m not trying to play basketball anymore I’m not trying to do those things and for those of you who want to laugh at me at these misners and these videos that they put out there and they talking about me let me remind you of something I don’t get paid to do those

Things I get paid to do this who’s been number one for the last decade did you forget that would happen to be me and no matter what comes down the pike with somebody else who will ultimately supplant me as number one that means means it still doesn’t mean I’m sorry

That it takes away from the fact that I’ve been number one and I’m still climbing basketball was good enough to earn me a full scholarship ride to a 4-year institution that enabled me to get my degree ultimately become a professional journalist ultimately become a topnotch

Pundit one of the best in the history of this country who by the way gets paid handsomely for it and oh by the way I’m a New York Times best-selling author this is what I do and I’ve been number one at it can you say you’ve been number one at anything New Orleans

Pelicans I’m just asking I’m just asking albeit rhetorically because we all know the answer grow up dial it back and win some damn games in the playoffs so I can have the pleasure of coming to the wonderful city with the wonderful fan base that is the New Orleans Pelicans which is being exceptionally

Run by Mr David Griffin and their ownership fall back and focus where you need to be focused

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