Full Show: Giannis open to considering trade options. MJ signed as NBC NBA Contributor. Diddy's trial starts.

Summary

The Stephen A. Smith Show Release Date: May 12, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this compelling episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, host Stephen A. Smith delves into a trio of major topics shaping the sports and entertainment landscape: Giannis Antetokounmpo's openness to trade discussions, Michael Jordan's return to the NBA as an NBC contributor, and the commencement of Sean "Diddy" Combs' high-profile federal trial. Throughout the episode, Stephen engages in spirited discussions, offers insightful commentary, and addresses noteworthy interactions with guests, providing listeners with a comprehensive analysis of each subject.

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1. Giannis Antetokounmpo's Potential Trade

Timestamp: 06:16 – 11:01

Stephen A. Smith opens the discussion by addressing rumors surrounding Milwaukee Bucks' superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo potentially exploring trade options. Highlighting Giannis' illustrious career, Stephen emphasizes his achievements, including being a two-time NBA MVP and an eight-time All-Star.

"Giannis is in the discussion for the greatest European player who has ever lived." ([08:57])

Stephen analyzes the Bucks' current situation, noting their lack of draft capital and reliance on free agency to bolster their roster. He speculates on possible destinations for Giannis, such as the New York Knicks or Los Angeles Lakers, and underscores the strategic implications for both the player and the franchise.

In a lively exchange with his nephew Josh, Stephen poses critical questions about the potential trade, challenging his guest to consider the Bucks' future without their star player and the broader impact on the league.

"What do you do if you are Giannis Antetokounmpo?" ([10:57])

The conversation delves into the complexities of NBA trades, the significance of draft picks, and the balance between talent and team chemistry. Stephen concludes this segment by underscoring the uncertainty surrounding Giannis' decision and its potential ramifications for the Bucks and their championship aspirations.

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2. Michael Jordan Joins NBC as NBA Contributor

Timestamp: 03:42 – 06:54

Transitioning to a lighter yet significant topic, Stephen A. announces that basketball legend Michael Jordan is returning to the NBA as a contributor for NBC's coverage.

"Michael Jeffrey Jordan is coming back to the NBA... he will be seen on NBC for their NBA coverage next season." ([03:54])

Stephen praises Jordan's basketball acumen and speculates on how his presence will enhance NBC's broadcasts. He humorously suggests that allowing Jordan to indulge in his iconic cigar-keeping habit will make his commentary even more engaging.

"Michael Jordan, not that he would, but let's say for the sake of argument..." ([05:30])

The segment includes a mix of admiration and playful banter, highlighting Stephen's respect for Jordan while anticipating the dynamic he will bring to NBC's NBA coverage.

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3. Sean "Diddy" Combs' Federal Trial Begins

Timestamp: 36:37 – 56:21

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the commencement of Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal trial on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. Stephen introduces Ryan Smith, a renowned legal analyst, to break down the complexities of the case.

Opening Statements and Prosecution Strategy

Ryan Smith explains the prosecution's approach, emphasizing the use of top female prosecutors to underscore the severity of the charges.

"These are some of the top prosecutors in the land... this is about holding someone accountable." ([38:38])

Evidence Presentation

Stephen inquires about the introduction of pivotal evidence, such as the infamous hotel hallway footage depicting Combs' alleged misconduct.

"This is the most powerful piece of evidence the prosecution has." ([41:17])

Smith elaborates on how the prosecution aims to portray Combs' actions as part of a broader criminal enterprise, while the defense seeks to humanize him amidst the serious allegations.

Defense Challenges and Trial Dynamics

Ryan discusses the defense's strategy of highlighting Combs' personal issues, such as anger management and substance use, as a means to divert from the criminal charges.

"He's a bad guy, maybe angry, but does that make him a criminal?" ([43:35])

The conversation touches on the risks associated with the defense's approach, especially in the current socio-cultural climate where domestic violence and misconduct are scrutinized more intensely.

Prosecutors' Expertise and Jury Composition

Smith highlights the caliber of the prosecution team and the diverse composition of the jury, which includes a broad spectrum of backgrounds to ensure impartiality.

"This jury is a diverse, broad swath of people in New York." ([40:29])

Trial Duration and Anticipated Proceedings

Ryan anticipates the trial lasting six to eight weeks, noting the extensive evidence the prosecution will present to establish the existence of an enterprise aimed at furthering Combs' illicit activities.

"This is going to be a weeks-long trial... they want to make it simple for the jury." ([50:18])

Character Witnesses and Their Impact

The discussion also explores the potential role of character witnesses in the trial and how they might influence the jury's perception of Combs.

"Character witnesses can have a huge effect, but they risk appearing self-serving." ([54:53])

Stephen concludes this segment by emphasizing the gravity of the trial and the high stakes involved for both the prosecution and defense.

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4. Critique of Charles Barkley's Comments

Timestamp: 25:17 – 33:58

Stephen addresses recent comments made by Charles Barkley on Outkick's Don't Me podcast, where Barkley criticized Stephen's extensive media presence across various platforms.

"You're starting to be too much right now... knock it off. Stop being on every TV show." ([25:26])

Stephen responds defensively, defending his multifaceted career and media engagements, contrasting Barkley's selective commercial appearances with his own prolific presence.

"Anything that I say that is critical of Charles Barkley is all in fun. That is my friend. That is my brother." ([27:24])

He further argues against Barkley's assertion by highlighting his own significant media commitments and the importance of substance in his contributions across different shows.

"I love talking about politics... I love talking about sports." ([32:01])

This back-and-forth showcases Stephen's commitment to diversifying his media footprint while maintaining his core focus on sports and social commentary.

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5. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the 2028 Presidential Race

Timestamp: 34:02 – 65:42

In the latter part of the episode, Stephen shifts focus to the political arena, discussing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (AOC) potential candidacy for the 2028 U.S. Presidential election.

AOC's Rising Influence and Democratic Strategy

Stephen acknowledges AOC's growing prominence within the Democratic Party but raises concerns about her appeal to centrist voters.

"She is a fighter for the impoverished, urban America, union workers..." ([58:55])

He critically examines whether AOC's progressive stance will resonate with the broader, predominantly centrist American electorate necessary for a winning campaign.

Democrats' Midterm Prospects and Strategic Challenges

Analyzing the Democrats' struggles in recent elections, Stephen questions the party's readiness to present a viable strategy against Republican agendas, emphasizing the need for actionable plans beyond ideological rhetoric.

"We have to come up with an answer soon... what’s your plan?" ([59:15])

He contrasts AOC's approach with historical political strategies, advocating for cross-aisle cooperation and pragmatic policy-making to restore faith in the Democratic leadership.

Trade War with China and Its Political Implications

Stephen wraps up the episode by returning to international affairs, specifically the White House's efforts to de-escalate the trade war with China. He discusses the temporary rollback of tariffs and its positive impact on global markets, linking it to potential political gains for the GOP in upcoming midterm elections.

"If a deal is struck within 90 days... The GOP will win the midterms." ([65:18])

He underscores the interconnectedness of international trade policies and domestic political outcomes, suggesting that successful negotiations with China could bolster Republican prospects.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show offers a thorough exploration of significant developments in basketball, entertainment, and politics. Through engaging dialogue and expert insights, Stephen A. Smith provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of Giannis Antetokounmpo's trade considerations, Michael Jordan's media ventures, the intricacies of Diddy's legal battles, and the evolving dynamics within the Democratic Party leading up to the 2028 presidential race.

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Notable Quotes

• "Giannis is in the discussion for the greatest European player who has ever lived." — Stephen A. Smith ([08:57])

• "Michael Jeffrey Jordan is coming back to the NBA... he will be seen on NBC for their NBA coverage next season." — Stephen A. Smith ([03:54])

• "These are some of the top prosecutors in the land... this is about holding someone accountable." — Ryan Smith ([38:38])

• "You're starting to be too much right now... knock it off. Stop being on every TV show." — Charles Barkley ([25:26])

• "If a deal is struck within 90 days... The GOP will win the midterms." — Stephen A. Smith ([65:18])

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Disclaimer

All opinions and discussions presented in this summary are based on the transcript provided and reflect the viewpoints expressed by the speakers during the episode.

Transcript

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[Stephen A. Smith]

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What a hell of a show coming your way today. Okay, the NBA playoffs are in full effect. I got to talk about that. Giannis might want out of Milwaukee. I got to talk about that. MJ is coming back to the NBA. I got to talk about that.

Plus Diddy's trial. Gotta talk about that. And there are people that are saying that I need to be quiet. One of those people includes the one and only Charles Barkley. Simple question, albeit rhetorical. When the hell do I listen to people tell me what to do? When it comes to be in me, I'll address that too. Stephen A. Smith show in the house. Let's go.

What's up everybody? Welcome to the latest edition of the Stephen A. Smith show, coming at you.

Over the Digital Airways of YouTube and of course iheartradio at least three times a week.

As always, I'd like to pause for.

A moment and thank my subscribers and followers for continuing to support the show, which continues to grow by leaps and bounds every single day. We've eclipsed millions upon millions of downloads over the last few months courtesy of iHeartRadio. And of course, we've gone over 1.21 million subscribers over the digital airwaves of YouTube. If it wasn't for your love and support, that would not happen. Please don't think that gets lost in the source when it comes to me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Keep supporting the show and I'm going to keep on coming to continue to like and follow the show. Just click the bell to get notified for our newest content and you too shall consider yourself the latest member of the Stephen A. Smith show family. And while you're doing that, please, please, please take a moment to pick up a copy of my New York Times best selling book, Straight Shooter. A memoir of second chances and first takes now in paperback. Just go to straightshooterbook.com to get yourself a copy. Once again, that's you book to get yourself a copy. Before I get into some stuff about Giannis, some stuff about the NBA playoffs, I don't know if y' all have heard the news, but the goat himself. Yes, I said the goat. Michael Jordan. Not some other dude that all of y' all keep mentioning. Michael Jordan, Michael Jeffrey Jordan, you know, that six time champion, you understand? Know that first, that 10 time all NBA first team or 11 time all NBA first team. That 10 time scoring champion, that six time NBA finals MVP.

For anybody that knows basketball, the guy.

Universally recognizes the greatest to have ever touched a basketball. That dude.

The billionaire, by the way, owner of the Jordan brand. That dude.

Well, did y' all hear that he is returning to the NBA? Michael Jeffrey Jordan is coming back to the NBA in fairness, albeit periodically. It's not every week, it's not every day. Michael Jordan will be seen on NBC for their NBA coverage next season. It will be periodical. Nevertheless, he will be coming on as a contributor, somebody that's going to be giving commentary expressing his opinion and to use his words that he is fond of saying, he's not trying to be brutal, just honest.

And any way you slice it, any.

Way you slice it. Let me tell you this about Michael Jordan. Obviously he's somebody that I know got a lot of love for. I've known him for many years. We talk quite often and clearly he's a brilliant basketball mind. How could you not be being as great as he was? My only suggestion would be to NBC.

And that would be even though this is not something that you would normally.

Take into consideration, I would ask you to do this because I kind of know a thing or two about television and what works with television. And I'm just giving you some friendly advice. Even though it's not ESPN or abc, instead it's a competitor like NBC. Number one, you might want to let him smoke his cigars because the Michael.

Jordan smoking the cigar is a little.

Bit different than the Michael Jordan that ain't.

The Michael Jordan that smoked those cigars.

Gets very, very relaxed.

When he's very, very relaxed, he Tends.

To be a bit more outspoken.

And that dude, trust me, y' all.

Y' all want to see that brother on television?

You want to see that brother on television. And just think for a second, just think for a second. I'm not talking about statistical data that you can analyze, dissect and refute. If the man is talking to you about basketball, what the hell are you gonna say? And Michael Jordan, not that he would, but let's say for the sake of argument, if Michael Jordan was to sit up there and say that brother can't.

Play, who's going to refute it?

If he sits there and said that brother can't close.

Who you think is going to refute it?

If he sits there and says, yo, this is the dude I want the ball to. When the game's on the line, as he's analyzing and dissecting the game of basketball and he's telling you what's happening in the moment and he's telling you what this dude or that dude is.

Going to do, what you going to say?

This is basketball analysis. This isn't ownership where you got to.

Take a whole bunch of financial things into consideration.

This is pure basketball.

And I assure you, outside of bringing.

Ahmaud Rashad back to NBC to be the one talking with him, there's nothing.

Better than putting a cigar in that brother's hands. He gets very relaxed and I'm telling you it's gonna be must see television no matter what. Cause when Michael Jordan speaks, we gonna listen. But especially if the brother got a cigar in his hand. Just trust me on this. Seems like a little, little thing, like a shtick or something. No, no, no, no, no. Trust me, trust me. Now let me divert back to the a different subject in a current NBA player. We're going to get started in the NBA and before we get to the playoffs, I want to talk about the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo with the Milwaukee Bucks. League sources tell ESPN that Giannis is reportedly open to exploring his best long term option after three consecutive postseasons in the first round. Combine that with the fact that Dame Lillard was will likely be out at least a year with the ruptured Achilles injury he suffered a few weeks ago.

Anthony Kumpo was drafted by Milwaukee in.

2013 and spent his entire 12 season career with the Milwaukee Bucks. He's a champion, a Finals mvp, a two time NBA MVP and a Defensive Player of the Year most improved player and an eight time all star to boot. All right, all NBA. I'm sorry Eight time all NBA and a nine time all star. So this is not a surprise. The Milwaukee Bucks don't have draft capital for the next five years. Which means that essentially you have to depend on free agency and who they gonna go out and get.

The best thing they could do was.

Ship Khris Middleton out to get in Kyle Kuzma. And how did that work out? They got some decent pieces. They're not scrubs, they can play. Damian Lillard, when healthy, is a superstar in this league, make no mistake about it.

And Giannis is an all world player.

But the reality is is that he needs help that the Milwaukee Bucks franchise can't get. A matter of fact, they need him.

To bring in additional help upon his departure.

And that's what we have to look at here.

Giannis is in the discussion for the greatest European player who has ever lived.

And one of the greatest big men the game has ever seen world over worldwide.

And even though the Lakers traded for Luka Doncic and didn't have to give up so much in draft capital, that cannot be the case for the Milwaukee Bucks.

If you're going to lose Giannis Antetokounmpo, there needs to be multiple draft picks.

It needs to be something along the lines of what the New York Knicks.

Gave up for Mikel Bridges, which is five first round picks, four unprotected.

That's what it needs to be, something like that. Which means it'll probably require getting a third team involved. Either way you slice it, the bottom line is this.

[Josh]

Somebody brought up the Knicks. Did somebody bring up the Knicks? I'm like a genie. You mentioned the Knicks. I'm popping up.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Did you walk in the middle of my damn segment?

[Josh]

I did. Cause I'm trying.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Listen, just because you of age don't mean as your uncle, I won't get up this chair and whip your ass. You don't walk in and interrupt my openness soliloquy. My openness monologue. What's wrong with you?

[Josh]

I'm here to make sure I shadow you. I don't have a ticket, so I'm with you. We attach at the hit until 10 o' clock tonight.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Looking like that?

[Bom Han]

What?

[Stephen A. Smith]

With the damn towel on your head.

[Josh]

I look like I'm supposed to be in that front row intimidating the Celtics. Unlike all you celebrities, I'm here.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Could you at least shut the hell up so I can finish this before I get to you?

Could you shut up? Anyway, my point is, if you're Giannis and you want to depart, here's the.

Question to throw out to all of y' all for consideration. You don't have to answer it today. You definitely not gonna answer it today.

Do you tell the Milwaukee Bucks I wanna become a New York Knick? Do you tell the Milwaukee Bucks I wanna become a Los Angeles Laker? Or do you tell the Milwaukee Bucks I'm open to going to Oklahoma City to join sga? I'm open to going to San Antonio to join Victor Wembayana.

Yama rather.

What do you do? Indian Fox.

Let's not forget him.

What do you do if you are Giannis Antetokounmpo?

Now, my first order of business was traded in New York Knicks. That would be me. It's Madison Square Garden, Mr. Mecca, you understand? I'll let you comment about that real quickly. Do you agree with that?

[Josh]

Absolutely.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That he could become a New York Knick?

[Josh]

Yes. Who do you give up for the Statue of Liberty? Tom Thibodeau. One of my kids. It doesn't matter. We need Gianni.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Anything for Giannis.

[Josh]

Anything for Giannis. Including Brunson, not Michael Jalen. That's the pair we need. Everybody else, we got Mikal for five picks. Give the five pick five more picks.

[Stephen A. Smith]

So you give up og, Mikel, Karl.

Anthony Towns, all of that, right?

[Josh]

Yeah. The Liberty too, whoever. It's Giannis we talking about. You just said he's one of the all time.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Great thing about it is I can't even disagree with you. I can't even disagree with you. I'm with you on that, but we can talk about that another day because I got to get onto another subject. The NBA draft lottery is tonight with the Jazz, Wizards and Hornets all having a 14% chance of landing the number one overall pick, which is most. Which most expect to be Cooper Flag. And this is where I'm at with this Cooper flag. This is clearly his draft and I.

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[Stephen A. Smith]

The kid is special. Make no mistake about it. Cooper Flag can ball. But there were four occasions this year when he had an opportunity to close. And not only did he fail to close, but half the time it involved turnovers. And so I'm looking at it from that standpoint. And clearly he's too young to judge or whatever, and the skills are real big time. There's no doubt about that. I think he's got a bright, bright future future. He's got Utah written all over him. Even though I would like to see if somebody like Houston could get their hands on them or if somebody like San Antonio could get their hands on them. Because the one thing about Cooper Flag in this draft is that whoever gets the number one overall pick is going to have major, major leverage when it comes potentially to acquiring somebody like Ayanna Santa Kounpo. You just never know. Now, I will allow my nephew to come in here to talk to me about the NBA playoffs. How are you feeling about our Knicks as they approach game four tonight against the Boston Celtics after getting shellacked in game three, after spending the vast majority of the first three games in this series being down 20, even though they came back and won in games one and two, how are you feeling about the Knicks right now?

[Josh]

I'm not feeling too good. And it's because of. It's because of the coach. And I hate to sound like a dead horse, but Tom Thibodeau played Jalen Brunson 40 minutes last game, and we was down 20 for 40 out of the 48 minutes. At what point do you rush them and think about the next round? If we beat the Celtics we lost to the Pacers last year and they run up and down Michael Jalen 27. Now for 21. I mean, what we gotta do is start Mitchell Robinson. That's the answer.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Start Mitchell Robinson, who's shooting 7 of 23 from the free throw line. 30% that Mitchell Robinson. You say start him. Why?

[Josh]

Because they're fouling him when we're in the penalty. So he goes to the line. Start him the first five minutes of the quarter when we're not in the penalty. So if you're gonna foul him, he's not gonna go to the line. Simple fix, right?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Or if you foul him in a motion of shooting, then he will go to the line.

[Josh]

He'll never have the ball. Motion is shooting.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But sometimes he does get the ball. Sometimes he is getting fouled when he grabs a rebound and he goes for a put back or something. That is true.

[Josh]

No, to strictly dunk the ball or something like that. Okay, if you're gonna foul him then. But to foul him when we just dribbling up the court and you're slowing down the game, it's almost like watching a football game. You're stopping in between. They gotta set up some type of rule. Y' all just gonna let that happen?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, you sound like a person that's really, really upset because you expected the Knicks to win this series. Did you really expect them to win this series? Or were you just trying to be a contrarian and act like you were just you was feeling differently. Cause you wanna show that you different from even with that weak ass towel on your head like everybody else wears.

[Josh]

I'm a fan of knowing what you know now. Jalen Brunson, is he better than Jrue Holiday right now?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Right now he is.

[Josh]

Mikal Bridges, is he better than Jaylen Brown?

[Stephen A. Smith]

No.

[Josh]

Is OG better than Tatum?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Not after the last game.

OG did nothing.

But it matters. It matters. And overall, Tatum is better than OG we love OG But OG ain't Jason Tatum.

[Josh]

So what about Towns?

[Stephen A. Smith]

What about Towns? He's a shooter.

[Josh]

Better of the big men.

[Stephen A. Smith]

He's a shooter. But his post game is suspect.

His defense has been suspect as well.

And just watching him run up and down the floor, it's uncomfortable to watch. He don't look like the healthiest cat out there.

[Josh]

You know what it is? We gotta fire Tom Tibet on high. And Mello. I thought long and hard about this.

[Bom Han]

Who?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Carmelo Anthony as the coach.

[Josh]

J.J. reddick. What's the difference?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Carmelo Anthony has never shown any inclination to coach whatsoever. He's Never said that he wanted to coach.

[Josh]

What about JJ Reddick? JJ Reddick had never said that either.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yes, he did.

JJ Redick, everybody and their mother knew.

That JJ Redick wanted to be a coach.

[Josh]

So what does he do about it? He wasn't coaching. So you go on first take when you want to be a coach. I guess I'm going to be a coach too.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That is. I mean, some people. I mean, Doc Rivers was on TV before. Before, and everybody looked at that and they hired him. Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy and others. I mean, these positions in television do lead to head coaching.

[Josh]

Well, I think we should switch it.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Up a little bit or the coaching jobs.

[Josh]

Melo. Melo has a podcast, so we respect his voice. That's 1, 2.

[Stephen A. Smith]

So you respect the voice of him.

Just because he has a podcast?

No, that's as opposed to anybody else.

[Josh]

That's just one of the reasons. But the other reason would be he could tell Katt, listen, Jrue Holiday's behind you. Bury him. What are you at the three point line for? You got him forearming you out to the three point line.

[Stephen A. Smith]

He's the best shooting big man in basketball, but his lower extremities are not that small. Big is not that strong, rather. And his feet. His feet. His size 21ft.

I hear the brother has bad feet.

[Josh]

Did you hear that before we got. Before we traded everybody for him?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yes, because he could shoot so well and we needed somebody to assist in shooting. We didn't mind the giving up of Julius Randall and Dante DiVincenzo. Even though I will concede this as I'm watching the Knicks in this series and I'm seeing, even though they won.

The first two games or what have.

You, just watch, I shouldn't say this series, this season, I have found myself watching Julius Randle and saying to myself in this postseason and saying to myself, if we could have kept Hartenstein with Randle and DiVincenzo, that might have been better than having Carl Anthony Townes and Mikel Bridges. That's how I'm feeling right now.

[Josh]

That's what it is.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You think so?

[Josh]

That's what it is.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Which means that you have a problem with what Leon Rose did.

[Josh]

No, not really. We lost toughness with Julius Randle, which I said off the beginning we went for talent over toughness. And right now against the Celtics, that's what we need. It's going to be series where Karl Anthony Towne's talent shines.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Hold on. Whose watch you got? On what? Whose watch do you have on mine. Where you get it, Josh?

[Josh]

The jewelry store.

[Stephen A. Smith]

At the jewelry store.

[Josh]

You're not going to keep saying I'm.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Stealing, Josh, you got people watching me.

[Josh]

When I walk into the room.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That look like an old watch that I had that was in my. I just looked at it the other day and when were you at my house?

When were you at my house?

When were you at my house? When were you at my house? That was in my jewelry box.

[Josh]

Josh, listen, your friend Michael Jilton, let's get to him. Why are you talking like he's some basketball guru genius?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Is he not? Is he not? I'm talking about. Just talking about analysis. You can't go by all the ownership and all of that stuff because you're.

Purchasing a team in a small.

Obviously, you got to take finances into consideration. You're trying to make money and stuff like that. And then sometimes that goes awry, which.

Is why he's not really, really doing that anymore.

But that doesn't mean he doesn't know the game.

[Josh]

Oh, he doesn't know the. Did he draft Kwame Brown and Born?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yes, he did.

[Josh]

Did he draft Cody Zeller, number four?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Three, I believe. It was three. Three, I believe. It was 3, I believe.

[Josh]

What about Frank Kaminsky over Devin Booker?

[Stephen A. Smith]

That's true.

[Josh]

You see what I'm drafted Shay, which was a good draft, traded him for Miles Bridges. Why do I want to listen to Michael Jordan talk about basketball? We know what he did.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yo, yo, you know what? We gonna. We. You're not gonna be on this show. We gonna change the subject. You will not disrespect the great Michael Jordan. That will not happen. That will not happen. Not the greatest player who has ever lived.

[Josh]

He's a good player.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Good, great.

The greatest. The greatest.

Let's be very, very clear.

Watch your mouth. Mind your manners.

You know what? You're talking about him one minute.

You're talking about your mama the next, who, by the way, is at Disney World right now enjoying herself, right?

[Josh]

Yeah. When's my turn? Sending out on trips and stuff like that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Why would you care about that?

Why wouldn't you just be thankful that.

I sent your own mother?

Don't you want her to be happy? You think about what about me?

That's the name of your production company.

It should be what about Me? That's what it should be. Because that's all you think about. What about me? I sent your mother to Disney World because that's what she wanted with her friends. And instead of being happy for her, who works hard, who Took care of you and what have you. You thinking about why you didn't get what she has?

[Josh]

You're right. I'm glad she's in Disney World.

[Bom Han]

You're right.

[Josh]

Your mom.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Why you waving over there for cameras right here?

[Bom Han]

Sorry.

[Josh]

I mean, you know why I give.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Your mother some love?

[Josh]

Cause I really didn't mean it. I really didn't mean it.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You didn't really mean to say you're wrong about your own mom?

[Josh]

I didn't. Because I want to go. My car. It's mad stuff we gotta talk about.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Like what?

That. So what, Celebrity row? That's on your mind?

[Josh]

Well, as far as today goes, right, the city is looking for me to be courtside.

[Bom Han]

The city?

[Josh]

It's not just me talking here.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Says who? How do you know this? How do you know what the city is looking for?

[Josh]

I'm on the Internet. You know what it is? You don't even be on your phone. He only texts people. All of these celebrities at courtside, all they do is text each other, set up business meetings. You're not even watching the game. I need to be courtside. Look at Smite. You know what? I'll give Smite credit. He does.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You understand you're not staring into the right camera, right?

[Josh]

I'm sorry.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You're such an amateur. You're such an amateur.

That's the camera right in front of you.

It's called the gym.

[Josh]

Look at Fat Joe. Look at Fat Joe. No orange on at all. It's a fashion show to y' all. All y' all do is meet up. Tracy Morgan.

[Stephen A. Smith]

So what would you call. What would you call how you're dressed?

[Josh]

I look like a player almost. I look like I need to be subbed in. That's why I throw the towel on my head. Shades on. Just so I can look a little different from the player or people might think I belong.

[Stephen A. Smith]

What would you do if you were sitting courtside? I mean, I wasn't even gonna ask this question.

What would I do before I get.

You the hell outta here, what would you do if you were sitting courtside?

[Josh]

I would make Jayson Tatum uncomfortable.

[Stephen A. Smith]

How?

[Josh]

Using my voice. I'm not texting. I'm not talking to Chris Rock about a movie that we might do next week. I'm not doing none of that. Jason Tatum pulled up to New York in Timberlands. He's disrespectful. Nobody said nothing about him. Good thing I'm a part of the media now, thanks to you. Come on. No.

[Stephen A. Smith]

We got bills to pay. And I'm tired of looking at him right now.

[Josh]

See y' all tonight.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Back more attached at the head.

All right, everybody, listen up.

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First five dollar lineup prize picks. Run your game. Now let's get to some headlines, or should I say advice from Charles Barkley in regards to me. Barkley, who's a friend and a brother, appeared on Outkick's Don't Me podcast with Dan Dakish. Dan asked Barkley about the myriad of places I've been seeing recently, talking about sports, politics, and even acting on General Hospital and recently Law and Order. Here's what Barkley had to say. Take a look at this, please.

[Charles Barkley]

So I don't want to be on TV more. I want to be on TV less. I don't think that's the Stephen A. Smith method right now.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I don't think that's his mentality.

[Charles Barkley]

That's not a. Listen, that's not. As a matter of fact, I was in the studio last night and I see he's gonna be on Law and Order tonight. I mean, he's already on. There you go. He's already on General Hospital. Now he's gonna be on Law and Order tonight. And I was just laughing. I'm like, yo, man, you're starting to be too much right now. Like, you're gonna be on cnn, you're gonna be on Fox and Friends. Now you own General Hospital. Now you're on Law and Order. I'm like, yo, man, knock it off. Stop being on every TV show. Because at some point people are going to regret. They're gonna like, they're gonna get sick of you and you're gonna be like, yeah, I probably did too much but once you do too much, it's too late. And then people don't take you serious. And I think he's gotta be careful in that aspect.

[Stephen A. Smith]

First order of business, as a forewarning, anything. I shouldn't say a forewarning, just a heads up. Anything that I say that is critical of Charles Barkley is all in fun. That is my friend. That is my brother. I love him dearly. I always have, I always will. He is as real and as authentic as it gets. And, oh, by the way, weeks ago, when he was critical of me as it pertained to my response to LeBron James, when LeBron James and I, you know, had our little spiel, Charles Barkley and I spoke on the phone. And what he said publicly is exactly what he said privately. That's my guy. But that doesn't mean I always agree with him. And it doesn't mean that I'm devoid of the right to call him a flaming hypocrite when it's called upon.

Do y' all have any idea how many commercials Charles Barkley does a year? He'll tell us Two. Have you seen Charles Barkley in two commercials? Are you kidding me? Oh, by the way, the cat that you work with at least twice a week during the NBA season is Shaquille o' Neal. Can we count the amount of endorsements he has, how often he's seen everywhere, what new product he's pitching? Did you say that about him?

No, you didn't.

But when it comes to me, I need to be careful. Oh, by the way, Dan Dakotch, you know, you know, slickly brings up, you know, me with politics and all of this other stuff. Wasn't it Charles Barkley who made news for years, talking about his aspiration to run for the governor of Alabama because that's where he's from before starring at Auburn and all of this other stuff. Wasn't that him? I mean, it just amazes me how people could say some of the things that they say sometimes. It absolutely, positively blows me away, okay? Because I'm not the one with commercials everywhere.

I'm working.

Fox and Friends know that involves early mornings. That's a rare appearance that almost never happens.

That's not accurate.

ESPN is the worldwide leader. They have a multiple of a multitude of outlets. Plus they put me on their.com sites. Outside of that, you saw, you see me occasionally on Sean Hannity.

Occasionally.

You see me pretty much weekly on Chris Cuomo show on News Nation. He's a friend, and he asked me to come on and I. Come on, where else have I been seen? Can we really, really get to the heart of the matter? And this isn't directed at Charles Barkley. This is directed at all the folks out there. I'm making people very uncomfortable, and I.

Don'T give a shit.

You can sit there and talk about.

People not taking me seriously all you want to.

We'll see.

Because I'm a serious brother.

That doesn't mean I don't know how to laugh and smile and have fun.

But I know who the hell I am.

We're talking about me on General Hospital. Why now? I've been on General Hospital for seven years. It's a soap opera. That's not a sports show. It's a different audience. I went on Law and Order. That's the first time I've been on prime time television for anything outside of working for espn. That's Law and Order. That's not sports. So if you're watching sports, chances are you're not watching those other things. You might not be watching soaps. You might not be watching Law and Order. So one would argue I'm reaching a different audience and I'm expanding and showing that I'm somewhat of a Renaissance man, that I have the versatility that to do the things that I'm doing. People saw me act and they said, hey, he does a good job. And I'm supposed to scale that back because of my conspicuous presence. Last time I checked, that's what we're.

In this business for.

And the very people laughing and dismissing it. Are you trying to tell me you would turn down those opportunities if it came your way? Why are you in this business? Yes, it's easy for Charles Barkley to sit up there and say, two commercials a year, even though that's a lie.

Because he's definitely doing more than two.

But when you're making the money that you're making, that you have been making for years, you could afford to turn down those opportunities. Don't bring up my contract now. That was just signed last month. You've been making that money for years. So when we look at it from that standpoint, what's that about? And, oh, by the way, when you see me at other places, whether it be podcasts or other shows, I don't volunteer to go talk to these people. Y' all call and ask yet. You'll call and ask and then say, I want to be seen. When you're the one to call or ask me to be seen.

Could it be because I speak with substance that I have something to say that will draw viewers and listeners to your respective shows. Isn't that what we're supposed to be.

Doing in this business? So, Charles Barkley, you continue to do the great job that you've been doing.

For tnt, and next year it'll start at ESPN.

And let Shaq market the hell out of himself the way that.

He does significantly better than almost anybody on this planet. And let me do what I do. I have no desire to run for office. I have no desire to be a politician. I love talking about politics. I love talking about giving social commentary or social issues. And I love talking about sports. And if that somehow some way translates into me being in the mix and people talking to me about a potential political position, so be it. It's not where my interest lies. But I don't rule it out because I believe I could win. And I'll be damned if anybody, especially my friend and my brother, who did nothing for years other than play basketball, yet repeatedly announced his desires to one day run for the governor of Alabama, is gonna sit here and tell me it's a bit too much. It's too much when I say it's too much. That's how I roll. Respectfully, of course. Number love for you, my brother, Dan Dakish. You're asking that question. I wonder why. If you're uncomfortable with the situation, my brother, and you got questions to ask, just call me. I'll come on. Under one condition. You don't turn around and say, oh, he just wants to be on another show. I actually have things to say. I don't think anybody can deny that. I'll leave it at that until a later date.

Anyway, coming up, could aoc, that is.

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, become the Democratic frontrunner for the president of the United States of America in 2028?

She's not ruling it out.

I'll get into that ahead. But first, a jury is seated in a federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial for Sean Diddy Combs.

What can we expect?

Expect this week? I'll get into that with our legal analyst extraordinaire, the one and only Ryan Smith. He's up next right here on the Stephen A. Smith show over the Digital Airways with YouTube and, of course, iHeartRadio. Back with more in a minute.

[Chumba Casino Announcer]

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[Stephen A. Smith]

Epic.

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Introducing the K Factor, the podcast that takes you straight into the heart of K Pop. We're talking music reviews, exclusive interviews and deep dives into the industry like never before before. From producers and choreographers to idols and trainees, we're bringing you the real stories behind the music that you love. And, yeah, we're keeping it hunted, discussing everything from comebacks and concepts to the mental health side of the business. Because K pop isn't just a genre. It's a whole world, and we're exploring every corner of it. And here's the best part. Fans get to call in, drop opinions, and even join us live at events. You never know where we might pop up next. So listen to the K factor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This isn't just a podcast. It's a movement.

[Bom Han]

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[Emily Tish Sussman]

This week on Dear Chelsea with me, Chelsea Handler. Connie Britton is here. I think you should encourage your friend to go ahead and not be holding out for any man to have her baby. If she is passionate about becoming a mother and she has her eggs frozen and she has her life together, go for it. She could be waiting another 10 years before she finds the right guy. Connie didn't meet her right guy until you were what, 50, Connie, how long have you guys been together?

[J]

Yeah, no, 52. 52.

[Ryan Seacrest]

52.

[J]

I adopted my son as a single mom because I kept thinking, oh, I'm gonna meet the guy. I'm gonna meet the guy. I'm gonna meet the guy. I finally was like, what am I waiting for? And I did it. And I'm just so glad that I did. And I want to change the narrative about single parents and also help to create a community for single parents so that they can not feel alone in it. One of the big things is it's so hard, especially for women to ask for help.

[Emily Tish Sussman]

Listen to Dear Chelsea on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Welcome back to the Stephen A. Smith Show. Opening arguments were set to begin today in a highly anticipated federal trial for hip hop mogul Sean Diddy Combs.

Combs has been accused of sex trafficking.

By force, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy as part of a federal indictment originally filed in September of last year. The feds later added two more superseding indictments. Combs and his legal team have pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

Joining me now to break this all.

Down as a friend of the program, he's an outstanding attorney who moonlights as a sports center anchor for espn. He's also a legal analyst for ABC News all over the Disney family, the one and only Ryan Smith is right here with yours truly. Ryan, always good to see you, my brother. Always good to see you. Let's get right to it.

The trial started today with six female.

Prosecutors presenting the case against Combs. What impact, if any, could that have on a jury?

[Bom Han]

Well, that has a big impact. And the goal of that is not only to use some of the top prosecutors in the land to prosecute the case, but it's also to show that this case is not just about Sean Diddy Combs, but it's about what he did to primarily women. And when you show that kind of front in the prosecution, all women prosecution team prosecuting this case, it focuses the jury for prosecutors on what they want them to be focused on. This was a man who might not have done every single element of the crime, but racketeering is not about that. This kind of charge of conspiracy is not about that. It's about a man who used his power to force women into sexual situations. And so that is part of what they're trying to show. But I don't want it to be missed in all this. STEPHEN A. That these are some of the top prosecutors in the land. So I think sometimes the tendency to say, oh, it's all women, they're doing that to put on a show. No, they're using some of the best prosecutors in the land to make the case by their presence, that this is about holding someone accountable.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay, Ryan, you said top prosecutors in the land. That resonated with me, because is that.

To imply these ain't just the top.

Prosecutors in New York, this is not a local thing. They went all over the country and got the six of the best prosecutors in the country who happen to be female. Is that what you're saying?

[Bom Han]

No, it's more like the prosecutors in New York. The New York office is one of the best in the world. And so these are their best. These are their top. These are people who have handled cases like Ghislaine Maxwell, connected to the Epstein case, that's the lead prosecutor in this case, handled that case. So these are some of of the best women in some of the best office in the world.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Break down the demographics, the dynamics and.

The demographics of this jury. How many females, how many males, how many blacks, how many whites?

What can you tell us about the.

Actual jury and the alternates that have been assigned to this case?

[Bom Han]

Yeah, you've got a full jury, you've got six alternates. They're a bit all over the map. And I think that's what you want in a case like this. Men and women, different hues, different colors, different races, but they also come from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Some come from different, different higher level jobs. Other. There's one juror who's a clerk at a store in New York. So I think that's what prosecutors wanted to paint here. A broad swath of New York society of people who are there to try to judge this case can be an advantage for prosecutors. It can also be an advantage for the defense because the defense can look at this and say, we are going to try in many ways to show you that Sean Combs might not be a great guy, might be a jerk, might be angry, might have committed domestic violence. But was he a racketeer? Was he someone who we should hold accountable for what the prosecution is saying? So this jury is a diverse, broad swath of people in New York, but we will see how that plays out on either side.

[Stephen A. Smith]

One of the things I'm looking at right now, this is called the Fresh CNN Update. I wanted to know what you could validate, what you can elaborate upon, if at all. It says the jury was shown additional footage from the hotel hallway. The jury is being shown footage from the north hallway of the sixth floor of the Intercontinental Hotel. This is where P. Diddy ran around, ran out in the hallway with just a towel wrapped around himself, naked up top, going after Cassie Ventura, trying to prevent her from getting on the elevator. He grabbed her, he shoved her down, he kicked her. Etc, Etc. He was, he acknowledged, you know, how heinous the video was in his own social media posting. In the aftermath of, of this being publicized? Could you tell us what happened today inside that courtroom as it pertains to evidence that was shown to the jury and any testimony that was given?

[Bom Han]

Yeah, that evidence, that, that video right there, that is the most powerful piece of evidence the prosecution has and they put it right up front. First witness in the trial, they called, they put that on full display. You talk about the extended view of this. What they're trying to show is the defense will try to say, hey, this was an argument. This was an argument between a couple that went awry. Yes, there was domestic violence here, but this isn't evidence of racketeering or conspiracy. So the prosecution here is trying to show an expanded view. What that does is it kind of undercuts any defense argument that says you're not showing the whole context of what happened. You're not showing what really happened. And there was so much more that went on that tells a story of more of some a couple that got into an argument, rather than something that builds more into a criminal racketeering conspiracy or something that is a broader issue that comes from it. So that's what they're showing there. STEPHEN A. The big part of today, though, was opening statements. The prosecution gets up first and lays out their case, and their case is essentially this Don Combs, big music mogul, committed these crimes, had these freak offs, had coerced women into forced sex, all as a part of a criminal enterprise, and others were involved to facilitate that enterprise. But the defense part of this, they come second. And how they contrasted it, I think is very interesting. They didn't try to say Sean Combs did none of this. They said, look, he's a bad guy, he's a jerk, he has anger issues, he took drugs. And they even took the step of saying that he had some domestic violence in his past. That is important because in a way you put to the jury, hey, if he had these things, doesn't that build into what the prosecution is saying? What the defense is going to try to do here is say, just because he is a bad person doesn't mean he is a person who did illegal things. We do not commit. We do not convict people for being bad people. We convict people for doing illegal activities. So was what we're seeing here in this case, Jury, is what the defense is trying to say, was what we're seeing here evidence of a racketeering enterprise, conspiracy, things like that, or was this a person with anger issues that you or I might have sexual proclivities that we may not understand or agree with, but are these things that should lead to a conviction in this case? And I think that's a risky thing to do in some ways, but it's what they have to do because they've got a very imperfect client.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Let's stick to that word risky that you just threw out there. I would imagine you've surmised and deduced that this is risky because of the times that we're living in. This is not the 90s. This is not the 80s. This is not even the early 2000s. This is a time where domestic violence has really, really come to the forefront of the mind's eye of American citizens and beyond because of the heinous behavior of a lot of people, most of them being men against women, the MeToo movement, the aftermath of all of that and what have you. You're looking at those kind of things, and I find myself saying, why in God's name. Would a defense team believe that that's a strategy to employ in light of how sensitive we are to those things in these times compared to how we were in years past? Is that why you use the word risky?

[Bom Han]

It is. It is because we are in a time where we are believing people who are accusing big titans of industry like Sean Combs. So in the past, a lot of times, you could undercut that in so many ways. As a defense team, you could try to dismiss a victim. You could try to attack people who are accusing people of other things. That is a much tougher thing to do today. That's why it's risky. And in a way, it's risky because you're painting part of the prosecutor's picture. The prosecution is trying to show this was a man who had these freak offs, did all these coerced women into sexual, horrendous sexual engagements, all because he's trying to further this enterprise. And then you're getting up and saying, yeah, you're seeing a video. He did do some domestic violence. He did have anger issues. He did take drugs, for example. Even the drugs part, if he took drugs, part of the prosecution cases, he drugged women to do some of these things. That helps a jury build into the prosecution's case. But you do this because in some ways you don't have another choice. You do this because, you know there's a video out there that jurors are seeing today in that courtroom that shows what he did. You see that there is information. They're going to see evidence in that jury of these freak offs and things like that. So, you know, this is the situation. The way you can paint this is to try to humanize Sean Combs to this jury and say, look, I know you might not engage in these things. I know he might live a different life. But just because he lives a different life, would you want someone coming in and saying, hey, you live a different life, so now we're going to prosecute you? I think that's what they're trying to do. But you make the great point, Stephen A. In this day and age, doing that is a tough needle to thread. Because when you do that, you open the door of, well, are we not supposed to believe these women? Are we not supposed to believe what they say Sean Combs did? Are we not supposed to believe what we're seeing on video and how Sean Combs, in our minds, yes, he could have paid off people at the hotel or done certain things to try to cover some of this stuff. And isn't that part of the criminal enterprise they're trying to prove? So that's where it becomes risky.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Define for our audience the word racketeering and the word enterprise, because those words are thrown out obviously, as a part of this indictment, of course. But I don't think people understand those two words when you say criminal, they understand the word criminal. Criminal, enterprise, racketeering.

Explain enterprise.

Explain racketeering. For the purposes of these specific charges against Sean Diddy Combs.

[Bom Han]

Okay. That racketeering and criminal enterprise, I think people can look at it as where it started from. Years and years ago when the government was trying to go after organizations like the mob. It was so tough because in that kind of situation, the person you're trying to accuse of the crime didn't do every part of the crime. So let's say a mob boss ordered a hit on somebody. They might not have done the actual hit. So how do you connect them to that? Racketeering? And when you talk about criminal enterprises is where the government tries to set up a scenario where they say an enterprise was set up to do the crime. In order to do the crime, multiple people had to be involved, but there was somebody at the top who started the whole thing. So we're going to try to get all of those people to paint the picture of the enterprise and convict the person who started the thing. So in Sean Combs's case, the way it breaks down is to say he set up a criminal enterprise. He wanted to do things like freak offs and this coercion of women and these abusive things that they're accusing him of. So he set up an enterprise. That enterprise had people going to get the women, had people procuring the drugs, had people paying off people when evidence got out. And then prosecutors can take all that information and paint a picture of an enterprise that was all set up to further Sean Combs freak offs or proclivities sexually. So that's how it breaks down. It's almost helpful to look at it like the person you're trying to convict didn't touch every element of the crime that you're trying to convict him of. So you're trying to show that he set up an organization all in furtherance of that criminal purpose. And when you do that, you can get him on that racketeering charge.

[Stephen A. Smith]

So we've heard about him being charged. We haven't heard about anybody else being charged. Is that because they can't find these other people? They can't find enough evidence against these other people? Or is it because they're utilizing those. Those people to make the case against him.

[Bom Han]

I would say it's probably part of the latter, which is using people to make the case against him. I would say in some ways they're probably spe all these people who are involved in what they see as the enterprise they got these people in, they tried to see who could flip in different areas. And that's why in this case, everybody should be watching the witnesses that testify and look at the witnesses, if they have any that relate to people who are in Combs organization. Those are the people that you're talking about, the people that in some way might have been involved with. What they're saying is this criminal enterprise who are in a sense flipping on Diddy. Now, the other side of it is not being able to find people. I always like to say when you talk about prosecutors and government cases, the key for them is patience. They need to have evidence to win a case. If they believe there's a good face, good faith basis in which a crime has been committed, that takes time. Like even in Diddy's case, it took years to try to iron this thing out. So I think sometimes when you think of Diddy's case, you think, well, is there going to be another star coming next month or the month after? I think for them it's about, let's prosecute this case. And what we learn here, if we can use that for other people, we will do that. But we need to preach patience because just like in Diddy's case, if we do not have all our ducks in a row, then you are not going to get a conviction. And if you don't get a conviction, it becomes harder to bring other cases like this where you think crimes have been committed.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Any idea how long you anticipate this trial going?

[Bom Han]

I think weeks. It could be anywhere from six to eight weeks and it could be a little bit shorter. But the key is the prosecutor is going to take all the time they need to lay out all their evidence. I think one thing you can look for is the defense is not going to need nearly as much time as the prosecution because their idea is going to be to try to shoot down a lot of what the procurement, what the prosecution has. But I think this is going to be a weeks long trial. You are going to see a lot of evidence come out because what the prosecution has to do is like what we talked about, paint this entire picture of an enterprise. But here's the key, Stephen A. They got to do it in a way that makes it simple for the jury. It can't be so complicated that jurors sit back and say, I can't really get what they're trying to do here. I mean, what are you trying to say? To me, what prosecutors are trying to say is here's a broad picture of an enterprise all in furtherance of a crime. They've got to be able to focus on that every step of the way and not make it too complicated. And for the defense, the key is going to be poke holes. They want to show a man who was maybe mean, maybe angry, maybe had unconventional sexual proclivities. That would be their way of wanting the jury to look at it, but never force anybody to do anything. They're going to poke holes. They're going to try to knocked down a lot of the witnesses by saying they willingly participated in a lot of the conduct, maybe even in some ways tried to facilitate some of the conduct if Combs asked for it. And they're going to try to paint the picture of, he may be a bad guy, but he's not a criminal.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Last couple of questions. We know how eccentric Sean P. Diddy Combs was, and particularly with his wardrobe, how fly he liked to look, et cetera, et cetera. Yet he shows up to court today, he's dressed down, wearing a white dress shirt, a light colored pullover and khaki pants.

It's not how the public is used.

To seeing the music mogul. What do you make of that?

[Bom Han]

That's by design, and it's always by design. I don't want people to think that, oh, he's doing that. That's not what we would see with other people. This happens in every single case. The defense is trying to humanize him. And in order to humanize him, they got to make him look like other humans. And other humans don't come in, look and fly wearing $10,000 watches or more. Other humans are wearing regular clothing, a suit, a tie, just there to be humble. And one of the pictures that the defense is trying to paint with Diddy is to say, and you saw this in Diddy's video. I know I did something wrong. I know I was not always my best. And so what they're trying to do is in his appearance, paint a man who is humble, who is just there. I will sit through this case, but I did not do what prosecutors said. And that's the image they want to show. So I think when people say, well, where's all that flyness that we're used to seeing? You would never want to have that in court because that would make him look less human to the jury. You want the jury to almost look at him and say, even though we know he's a billionaire, he's a music mogul. When I look at that man in that defense chair, he looks like a man who did the wrong thing but isn't a criminal. That's what the defense wants to show in his appearance.

[Stephen A. Smith]

The jury opted to choose the jury. The judge rather, I'm sorry, opted to choose the jury today out of concern that if given the weakened to think about it, jurors may have second thoughts about serving.

Good move on the part of the judge.

[Bom Han]

Yeah, excellent move on the part of the judge. You want to get this thing underway fast. And I know a lot of people actually said to me today, wow, they just seated the jury. And now we're getting going right away. That happens all the time. This is a big commitment for jurors. And I know the jurors names won't be revealed. That's a big part of this. That's a big part of our justice system. But think of the pressure these men and women face. Think of the fact that they have to sit through six to eight weeks of a trial, pay attention to every detail of perhaps the biggest trial in the world right now. And so for them, there might be feelings of, I don't want to be a part of this. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go home and I'm not going to come back. Let them say something about that. Use one of the alternates. No, this judge is looking at this saying, we have a jury. Let's get this thing going. And at every stage, you will see this judge trying to move this case along. If he has to stop it, he will. But his key is not to elongate it, because the longer it goes, the more a chance that you might lose a juror. And that's the last thing you want. Yes, you have the alternates, but the people sitting on that jury right now, they are focused on making a decision. And you don't want to lose one of those decision makers. Bring in an alternate or worse, have it happen to multiple people, and then you start opening this case up to questioning. So the faster you go, the better off you are. And this judge is handling that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Right. Last question. We've heard nothing about character witnesses for Sean Diddy Combs. A, have you heard of any B. If you haven't heard, what kind of effect could that potentially have on a case of this magnitude insensitivity, I have.

[Bom Han]

Not heard yet, but I think it could have a huge effect. The question is, who are those witnesses and what do they say? Now, if they use a character witness, if the defense decides to go that way and use a character witness that's a member of his family, you have a jury looking at that person and you say many juries might think, well, that's self serving. You know him, you want to get him off, you're going to say nice things. Of course, the question would be, do you have character witness who in some way could transcend that for jurors and make them think, hey, this is somebody who I wouldn't expect to say this about him, or somebody who I believe and support everything they say. And here they are saying that Diddy is not guilty of the things that the prosecutor is trying to prove here. So it's always a little bit of a risky proposition with character witnesses because if it just seems self serving, then the jurors are starting to hear witness after witness, especially if you have multiple ones, and they're saying, well, what are you doing here? You're just telling me like what I expected you to tell me, which is a great guy shouldn't be convicted. And the more you hear that, the less you believe the defense's case. So I think in many ways it's going to be a tough road to hope for these defense attorneys because you want somebody to bolster Diddy. But at the same time, the more you have somebody who's in his corner, the more you open yourself up to jurors saying, can I really believe these witnesses?

[Stephen A. Smith]

One of the best in the business, legal analyst extraordinaire, Ryan Smith, right here with Stephen A. Smith and the Stephen A. Smith Show. Appreciate you, buddy. Man, thank you so much. You know, I'm going to call you back because I want to hear more of what you have to say as you continue to monitor this trial. Thank you so much.

[Bom Han]

Anytime, man. I have my island.

[Stephen A. Smith]

All right, coming up, the White House de escalates the trade war with China.

And could aoc, as in Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, be the next Democratic nominee for president? I'll get into all of that up next right here. Welcome back to the Stephen A. Smith Show. Now let's get to Washington and an early look at the race for the White House in 2028.

According to the Wall Street Journal, sources.

Close to AOC say she isn't ruling out the possibility of a presidential run. The Democrats suffered major losses in the November election, as everybody and their grandmama knows. And the party is frankly struggling to.

Find a strategy to take on President.

Trump and his policies. AOC, who is 35 years of age.

Has emerged as a leading voice for Democrats.

But some within the party are concerned she'll turn off centrist voters who are needed in the swing states that Trump swept in November. For the record, they are absolutely right. She will turn off centrist. I am not casting any aspersions on this young lady. I think that if you are a Democrat, if you are a leftist who rails against the system, who believes that free market capitalism spearheaded by billionaires is not the way to go, if you believe that not enough attention is being paid attention to the desolate and disenfranchised, if you believe that higher taxes is the way to go, that a focus shouldn't be on securing the borders, if you believe those kind of things, and that's where you stand ideologically, AOC is your candidate. No doubt about that. Here's what I will say to you. I have no questions about her heart and the place that it is in. I think that anyone that she represents knows that she's a fighter. She's a fighter for the impoverished. She's a fighter for urban America. She's a fighter for union workers and things of that nature. I get that part. I'm just talking about whether or not it's a winning strategy. Most people in the country are centrists. They're moderates. Whether they're Republican moderates or Democratic nominates or moderates or just flat out centrist. Who are independents? That's most of the American population. They are not maga. Right.

And they are not progressive left.

She clearly is.

And not to be literal, not to.

Be taken literally, but she gives the.

Impression that when you talk about universal.

Health care and you talk about other.

Things, if it equated to taxing Americans.

70% of their income, she wouldn't be against it.

That ain't gonna win you elections. That's not gonna win you elections. If you're living in this day and age and you're talking about fighting for certain rights, is it particular as it.

Pertains to transgender individuals, athletes transitioning and.

Men competing in women's sports and stuff like that, which she's not about to speak against. If you think that's going to win you an election, you've got your head in the sand. See, the real issue that I'm having right now with the Democratic Party is I'm waiting to hear what your plan is. It can't be. We're just against all things strong. What's your plan? What's your plan for the economy? What's your plan as it pertains to comprehensive immigration reform? What is your plan when it comes to foreign affairs? What is your plan as it pertains to the Israeli Palestinian conflict? Or should I say Israel with Hamas? What is your plan with Russia and Ukraine? Is it just giving Ukraine more money like Biden was willing to do? What are your plans? We got to pay attention to all of this stuff. Jobs in America, recidivism in our jails, all of these things. What's the plan? What's the plan as it pertains to the vast majority of Americans in this country? What is your plan? I don't have one yet. That's why I keep telling y' all, if I ever run for the presidency. Oh, trust me, that's not a decision I'm gonna make for years, for at least the next two years. And I sincerely hope that it's not me. You got a lot of people that look at Westmore, the governor of Maryland, they look at Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, that look at Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, that looks at Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York, New York State, who's now running for mayor of the city of New York. The key operative word in all of that is governor, meaning you ran a state, as opposed to being one of 435 representatives whistling into the wind about what you think is wrong with this country, ill equipped to do something about it because you're relatively limited, because you're only one voice of many. As in 435, you got people talking about how she should run for a Senate seat. Maybe that's true. Maybe she should supplant Senator Chuck Schumer, who's been there for ages and people have been critical against because he sided with the Republicans a month ago instead of the Democrats. Either way you slice it, here's the point. Are you really just talking and railing against the establishment? Are you railing against the new establishment that is the maga, right, led by Trump? Or are you strategizing as it pertains to what's going to work? I saw her go on tour with Bernie Sanders, okay? If that man mentions the word oligarch one more time, I'm going to lose my mind. He's been saying it since 1983. Haven't you noticed that folks ain't buying that right now you're having these rallies flying on jets and Doing all of these things, which is basically the same kind of thing you've been complaining about. Where's the consistency? Where's the absence of hypocrisy? These are the kind of questions people are going to ask. Do you have the answer to that? Other than railing against the establishment? I've listened to Jasmine Crockett. Both AOC and Jasmine Crockett are welcomed on this show. I respect the hell out of both of them. I'm not here to disrespect anybody. I'm only talking about what strategy is going to work. When I hear Jasmine Crockett talking about how I'm just against all things and everything. Trump is that legislating? Isn't it an obligation that you have to come up with something if the other party is in office? You have to go from thinking that you're going to get what you want.

If your party was in the White.

House and instead transitioning to how can I work with the other party to get some of what I want? Because I know I'm not going to get most of what I want because they won the election. How do we notice that was Obama's approach when he beat Senator John McCain for the presidency in 2008? That's what he said. I won. We won. It's our turn. I remember Mitch McConnell, the Republican senator, speaker of the House. I'm sorry, speaker of the Senate. I remember what Mitch McConnell said at that time. My goal is to make Obama a one term president. That's not somebody that was willing to work across the aisle.

I get that.

But it compromised the White House because ultimately the kind of power that they had in having a House, the Senate and the White House was lost a couple of years later with what AOC is doing, what Bernie Sanders is doing, with what Jasmine Crockett is doing. I don't know if that's going to win you back one of the houses of Congress come 2026. What is your strategy? That's all I'm asking.

It's a question for Democrats everywhere because.

If you don't come up with an.

Answer soon.

Trump and his peeps are.

Going to answer it for you and they're going to win the midterms in 2026 and then you'll really be up Schitt's creek. Now let's get to the White House.

And the latest on the trade wars with China.

The White House touted a quote, quote, China trade deal on Sunday and the.

President spoke on it today. The announcement comes after two top US.

Officials alluded to a potential agreement yesterday.

With China following talks in Switzerland. What we know is that the US And China agreed to drastically roll back.

Tariffs on each other's goods for an initial 90 days. The move de escalates the trade war and sparks increases in the global market markets which rallied today.

By May 14, the US will temporarily.

Lower its overall tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30% while China will cut its levies on American imports from 125% to 10%.

That's an accomplishment, ladies and gentlemen.

You know why? Because the dow increased by 1,044 points. And all of a sudden all of this noise about how our 401ks have been lost and our IRAs have been compromised and all of this stuff going on in the stock market has compromised American lives and Social Security is in jeopardy and all of this other stuff. I got news for you. This 90 day reprieve forced the markets to react in a positive way. If a deal is struck within 90 days and if it is a deal deemed successful by the Trump administration, remember.

What I just said about aoc, Jasmine Crockett, Bernie Sanders, et cetera.

Toast. Democrats will lose the midterms if Trump.

Finds a way to win this tariff war.

And make no mistake, this is where the war was.

All of this stuff where he's tagged.

Throwing tariffs at everybody else, that was smokescreen. The target was China, third largest economy in the world. Target was China, the third largest trade department. I'm sorry, that's what happened.

If this is ultimately deemed a success by the Trump administration.

The GOP will win the midterms. And you think this perceived power on the right now, imagine how it will be then. So somewhere along the way, as Democrats plot and they're willing to point to everything about Trump, about Qatar, you know, giving, you know, you know, assistant in getting a new plane, new Air Force One. And you know what? What? How is Trump and his family business padding their own wallets and all of.

This other stuff that everybody wants to.

Bring up, America has deduced it to such a degree. I'm going to make it very simple for you. When it comes to the political landscape and the apparatus that runs our country, we assume in some way or another all of y' all are getting paid.

We don't assume for one second that.

You'Re just doing it for the good of the country without doing it for the good of yourself. We believe there's something in it for every elected official.

Doesn't make it corrupt, doesn't make it illegal.

We're just saying that there's something in it for each and every single one of you.

So with Trump willing to get his.

Along the way, whether it's directly or.

Via his sons running his family business.

Or whatever other method he chooses to use, it's not a surprise. It's not something that throws us aback. What we really, really care about in the end is whether or not something is best for America. And there's substantial evidence that proves it. Not just lip service, not just pledges, not just guarantees, but actual acts in writing that shows the nation stood to benefit. If that happens, the GOP wins the midterms, and a Democratic Party as we know it will be eviscerated because it will be the latest nugget of evidence that the American citizens has completely lost faith in the left, even when they believe in the moral message that is spewed. Because we've lost faith in your ability to execute. Just because somebody is in office that you do not like, that you do not agree with, doesn't absolve you from the obligation to do your job, which is working across the aisle when necessary to get at least some things done on behalf of your constituency. That's your job. And to just be going after the President because you don't like him and you want to call him every reprehensible name under the sun to decry his leadership and that of his administration, you might think that's doing your job. It's not. There are plenty of people we work with that we don't like every single day. But when it comes to getting it done, whatever it takes to get as much for your base, your constituents, is what you're supposed to be doing. As opposed to having built in excuses about your disdain for somebody else as to why you. You can't get it done. That is not what's supposed to be happening. And the Democrats would be very, very smart to recognize that. Again, I've had a slew of Republicans on this show. I've had a whole bunch of Democrats as well. They are all welcomed on this show. That includes aoc, that includes Jasmine Crockett. That includes Bernie Sanders. That includes any of them. The goal is to help America be the very best it can be and that all of us get served advantageously in some way, shape, form or fashion. That's the goal. You can't pull that off by just screaming about how the other side is awful and having people in the crowds echoing your sentiments. That doesn't get policy on the table. It doesn't get things done. It only provides rationale as to why they didn't get done, which people have grown tired of a long time ago. That's it for this edition of the Stephen A. Smith Show. I gotta get on out of here because I got a Knicks game to cover tonight at Madison Square Garden Garden against the Boston Celtics. But I'll be back in a couple of days. Hope you all enjoyed the show. Thanks again to Ryan Smith, legal analyst extraordinaire for ABC News, as well as the Sports center anchor for espn, for coming on the show, blessing us with his presence and his knowledge. Always appreciate him. And I'm in a good mood, so I'll even take a moment to thank my nephew Josh, who is going to bum rush me and follow me to Madison Square Garden so he can get in the damn building. All of this stuff I have to deal with, but I'm in a good, good mood, so I'll tolerate it today. Until next time, ladies and gentlemen, Stephen A. Signing off. See you in a couple of days. Peace and love.

[Emily Tish Sussman]

Hi, it's Emily Tish Sussman, host of the podcast she Pivots. In honor of Mother's Day, we have some very special guests. I'm Elaine Welteroff.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And I'm Caitlin Murray.

[Emily Tish Sussman]

Both women pivoted out of their careers after having their kids, proving that motherhood is just another chapter in our journey, not the end. Come on over to hear their full stories. You can listen to she pivots on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The number one hit podcast, the Girlfriends, is back with something new, the Girlfriends Spotlight. Each week, you'll hear women triumph over adversity. You'll meet Tracey, who survived a terrifying attack.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I remember that feeling of, okay, this.

[Emily Tish Sussman]

Is how I die and turned that darkness into light.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I want to take over the world.

[Bom Han]

And just leave this place better than I found it.

[Emily Tish Sussman]

So come and join our girl gang. Listen to the Girlfriend Spotlight on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

You're listening to an I Heart podcast.