Full Show: Really? MSNBC Opinion says I'm a MAGA megaphone. | Cooper Flagg is the Truth!

Summary

The Stephen A. Smith Show – Episode Summary

Title: Full Show: Really? MSNBC Opinion says I'm a MAGA megaphone. | Cooper Flagg is the Truth!
Release Date: March 28, 2025
Hosts: Stephen A. Smith, Toosie, and Guests including Peter Tilden

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**1. Opening Remarks and Personal Reflections

Timestamps: [01:01] – [09:03]

Stephen A. Smith opens the show by expressing gratitude towards his subscribers and achieving significant milestones on iHeartRadio and YouTube. He announces the upcoming tour “Three Americans Live” featuring himself, Chris Cuomo, and Bill O’Reilly, emphasizing the diversity of their backgrounds and beliefs to foster respectful and meaningful conversations.

Notable Quote:
Stephen A. Smith [01:01]: “I can’t thank y’all enough for your support. Keep it coming and I’ll keep on coming to continue to like and follow the show.”

He addresses recent criticisms and media attention, clarifying his position as a centrist who values transparency and honesty in his opinions, despite being in the spotlight. Stephen emphasizes that his platform is about expressing truths based on evidence and believes in open dialogue, even if it leads to controversial headlines.

Key Points:

• Personal achievements and gratitude towards fans
• Announcement of “Three Americans Live” tour
• Clarification of his role and stance as a centrist
• Commitment to transparency and honest discourse

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**2. College Basketball Tournament Analysis

Timestamps: [09:03] – [27:09]

In partnership with Prize Picks, the show delves into predictions for the NCAA College Basketball Tournament. Stephen A. Smith, alongside guest Toosie and Peter Tilden, discuss various matchups and potential outcomes.

Key Matchups Discussed:

• Duke vs. Alabama:
  Stephen favors Duke due to their size and defensive prowess, while Peter argues for Alabama’s veteran experience.
  Notable Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [14:03]: “I can’t see Alabama beating Duke. I just can’t see that I could be wrong because it’s, I’m gonna tell.”

• Houston vs. Purdue:
  Both agree Houston has the grit to advance further in the tournament.
  Notable Quote:
  Peter Tilden [16:34]: “They got the grit for some reason.”

• Florida vs. Texas Tech:
  Stephen predicts a win for Florida, citing Texas Tech’s struggles despite being a top seed.
  Notable Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [17:04]: “I think Florida is going to beat them. No doubt about that.”

• Auburn vs. Michigan:
  Both hosts support Auburn, highlighting their recent performance and potential.
  Notable Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [17:19]: “I’m gonna go with Auburn. The only difficult thing is they got those two bigs, man…”

• Mississippi vs. Michigan State:
  Stephen supports Michigan State, highlighting Coach Izzo’s experience.
  Notable Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [17:59]: “I am going with Izzo. I’m going with the coach that’s been there for before…”

Discussion Highlights:

• Analysis of team performances and player contributions
• Emphasis on experience vs. youthful energy in teams
• Strategic insights into potential playoff scenarios

Notable Quote:
Peter Tilden [14:19]: “So you’re saying you’re giving Alabama a chance.”

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**3. Controversy with MSNBC Blog on Stephen’s Political Leanings

Timestamps: [33:39] – [58:47]

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to addressing an MSNBC article by Jahan Jones, which accuses Stephen A. Smith of being a "MAGA megaphone." Stephen vehemently disagrees, asserting his centrist stance and highlighting his interactions with a diverse range of political figures from both the right and left.

Key Points Addressed:

• Stephen’s Political Neutrality:
  Stephen clarifies that he identifies as a centrist, never aligning strictly with the Democratic or Republican parties.
  Notable Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [37:12]: “I have never been a fan of listening to Elizabeth Warren. I respect her as a senator…”

• Diverse Guests on His Show:
  He lists numerous guests from both political spectrums, emphasizing that hosting them does not equate to endorsing their views.
  Notable Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [38:02]: “Did you bring up Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania? Did you bring up Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland?...”

• Defense Against Accusations:
  Stephen argues that engaging with right-wing commentators on his platform is essential for balanced discourse and does not equate to platforming propaganda. He criticizes the left for selectively amplifying voices while ignoring similar actions from the right.

  Notable Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [54:07]: “The left wants to hand pick who they want to be messengers instead of listening to the public say to them.”

• Call for Dialogue:
  Stephen expresses a desire to engage directly with the article’s author but notes the lack of response, reinforcing his openness to dialogue.

  Notable Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [33:39]: “My team reached out to Jones to have a discussion about the article. I wanted to invite him on the show to talk with me one on one.”

Conclusion of Segment: Stephen reaffirms his commitment to impartial journalism, stating that his platform will continue to feature a variety of perspectives to foster meaningful conversations.

Notable Quote:
Stephen A. Smith [58:47]: “I go on a case by case basis. I’m not an ideologue. I don’t trust that. And I don’t think that’s good for this country.”

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**4. NBA Analysis: Los Angeles Lakers and Western Conference Dynamics

Timestamps: [61:12] – [75:02]

Stephen shifts focus to the NBA, particularly analyzing the Los Angeles Lakers' recent performances and the broader Western Conference landscape.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Lakers’ Struggles:
  Stephen critiques the Lakers’ defensive capabilities, especially after LeBron James suffered a groin injury. He highlights poor shooting percentages and defensive lapses.

  Notable Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [22:03]: “If you finish as a fourth or fifth seed, being 1 and 3 since LeBron has returned, if you sit up there and you’re going to be in a situation where you end up as a fourth seed or a fifth seed, that means that first round series, you’re in jeopardy of not having a home court advantage in it.”

• Coach Taylor Jenkins’ Dismissal:
  Discussion on the Memphis Grizzlies firing Coach Taylor Jenkins despite their fifth seed standing, citing poor performances against top-tier teams.

  Notable Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [21:37]: “In the span of a week and a half to two weeks, they’ve disintegrated from that to you going home.”

• Player Performance Highlights:
  Analysis of specific player performances, including Cooper Flagg’s exceptional play for Duke and Austin Reeves’ clutch moments for the Bulls.

  Notable Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [64:05]: “Cooper Flag is the real deal. He’s the real deal.”

• Endorsements and Ads:
  Brief mentions of ongoing promotions, including partnerships with Prize Picks and advertisements for Nissan Murano and Discover cards.

Notable Quote:
Stephen A. Smith [64:15]: “This brother, Cooper Flag, is the real deal. He’s probably going to win national Player of the Year the way Duke is looking right now… he might end up being the number one overall pick in the NBA draft.”

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**5. Audience Engagement and Interactive Segments

Timestamps: [66:17] – [73:09]

Stephen engages with audience questions and tweets, discussing topics ranging from the best live-action Batman portrayal to the legitimacy of the Golden State Warriors as NBA contenders.

Highlighted Interactions:

• Best Batman Portrayal:
  Stephen favors Christian Bale’s interpretation, praising its impact and connection to Heath Ledger’s Joker.

  Notable Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [71:43]: “Christian Bale, easily. His performance in The Dark Knight was spectacular.”

• Warriors’ Contention:
  He acknowledges the Warriors’ potential to be serious contenders, especially with the acquisition of Jimmy Butler, despite concerns about team size.

  Notable Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [71:43]: “They’re good enough to get to the conference finals. I don’t think it’ll happen, but I think they’re good enough where you can label them a contender.”

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**6. Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

Timestamps: [73:15] – [75:02]

Stephen wraps up the show by summarizing key NCAA tournament outcomes, particularly highlighting Cooper Flagg’s stellar performance for Duke. He reiterates his commitment to discussing a wide range of topics, emphasizing the importance of balanced and inclusive dialogue on his platform.

Notable Quote:
Stephen A. Smith [74:15]: “Cooper Flagg, he’s on. I’m telling you, he was a national championship. He’s got to win a national championship.”

He concludes by encouraging listeners to stay engaged with the show for ongoing sports analysis and diverse discussions.

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Key Takeaways:

1. Centrist Stance: Stephen A. Smith emphasizes his position as a centrist, countering accusations of being aligned with the MAGA movement by highlighting his diverse range of guests from both political spectrums.

2. Sports Insight: Comprehensive analysis of NCAA basketball matchups and NBA dynamics, with a special spotlight on emerging talents like Cooper Flagg and ongoing issues within teams like the Los Angeles Lakers.

3. Commitment to Dialogue: Despite facing criticism, Stephen remains dedicated to fostering open and balanced conversations, inviting a variety of voices to his platform to discuss pertinent issues across sports, politics, and society.

4. Audience Interaction: Engages with the audience through tweets and direct questions, providing personal opinions and fostering interactive discussions.

5. Promotional Content: Regular mentions of partnerships and advertisements, seamlessly integrated into the show's flow without detracting from the main content.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Stephen A. Smith [01:01]: “I can’t thank y’all enough for your support. Keep it coming and I’ll keep on coming to continue to like and follow the show.”

• Stephen A. Smith [14:03]: “I can’t see Alabama beating Duke. I just can’t see that I could be wrong because it’s… I’m gonna tell.”

• Stephen A. Smith [37:12]: “I have never been a fan of listening to Elizabeth Warren. I respect her as a senator…”

• Stephen A. Smith [54:07]: “The left wants to hand pick who they want to be messengers instead of listening to the public say to them.”

• Stephen A. Smith [71:43]: “They’re good enough to get to the conference finals. I don’t think it’ll happen, but I think they’re good enough where you can label them a contender.”

• Stephen A. Smith [74:15]: “Cooper Flagg, he’s on. I’m telling you, he was a national championship. He’s got to win a national championship.”

---

This episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show provides an in-depth look at current sports dynamics, particularly focusing on NCAA basketball and the NBA, while also tackling political controversies surrounding the host. Stephen A. Smith maintains his commitment to balanced dialogue, engaging with both sports enthusiasts and those interested in societal issues, ensuring a comprehensive and thoughtful discussion throughout the episode.

Transcript

[Jason Alexander]

On the podcast. Really know. Really? Join best friends Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden along with experts, newsmakers and celebrities in a search for answers to life's most baffling, intriguing and annoying questions. You know those things that make you go really? No, really.

[Peter Tilden]

I think There was a 17 year old in Rhode island who ran a candidate that was a deep fake.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Really?

[Toosie]

Wait, wait, that's news to me. That's really no really right there.

[Jason Alexander]

Really no, really listen to really no really. On the iHeartRadio app or wherever you.

[Unknown]

Get your podcasts, PayPal lets you pay all your pals like your graduation gifters. Who's paying for the mattress topper? You mean the beanbag chair? Aren't we getting a mini fridge?

[Jason Alexander]

Can we create a pool on PayPal? It lets us collect the money before we buy.

[Unknown]

Ooh, yes, that's smart. Glad we can agree on something easily. Pool split and Send money with PayPal. Get started. In the PayPal app, a PayPal account is required to send and receive money. A balance account is required to create a pool.

[Stephen A. Smith]

What's up everybod everybody? Stephen A. Smith here. Recently we made news because the great Bill O'Reilly announced a tour that's coming nearest you in the very, very near future. Get your tickets now for this. It's called Three Americans Live March 30th at Live Nation's Flagstar at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island. Don't miss the very first show as myself, Chris Cuomo and yes, that man Bill O'Reilly take our different ideas, our different backgrounds, our different beliefs across the country to demonstrate that respectful, meaningful and even fun conversation. Those are the things that make America as great as it should be. The show will be spirited, unscripted, and all three of us will let it fly as we discuss the topics everyone is thinking about these days. There will also be questions from the audience. We're not running. Tickets are officially on sale now with priority presale code [e-mail] VIP packages are available with the opportunity to meet and take photos with myself and both those fellas. That's three Americans live March 30th at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island. Additional dates and cities to be announced. Don't miss it. Trust me, you'll get a kick out of foreign what's up, everybody? Welcome to the latest edition of the Stephen A. Smith Show. Coming at you as I love to do at the very least three times a week over the digital airwaves of YouTube and of course, iHeartRadio as always, I'd like to poise pause to thank my subscribers and followers for giving me the support that they have given me and continue to give me. I can't thank y'all enough for it. Over iHeartRadio, we've had millions of downloads over the last few months, and courtesy of YouTube in terms of subscribers, we've eclipsed more than 1.16 million subscribers total. So I can't thank y'all enough. I mean, I've been very lucky and very blessed and fortunate to have your support. Keep it coming and I'll keep on coming to continue to like and follow the show. Just click the bell to get notified for all of our newest content and you too shall be the latest member of the Stephen A. Smith show family. And also while you're doing that, please take a moment to grab a copy of my New York Times bestselling book, Straight Shooter, a Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes, now in paperback. Once again, just go to straightshooterbook.com to get yourself a copy. That's straight shooter book.com to get yourself a copy. I got a lot of stuff to get into in the world of sports. The Lakers lost last night. Primetime Deion Sanders, there's some big news involving him. There's some folks on the left who have been coming after me politically because of how they feel about certain positions that I've taken. So I'm definitely going to touch on all of that. But I wanted to first broach something before I even get into the show. And I want to say that we know what I've been in the news over the last few days, the last 24 hours in particular. I'm not about to get in all of that. I've said what I said. I meant what I meant. But I do think it's important to point out that you take no joy in it. I've been in this business for over 30 years, and I'm not supposed to be the news. I'm supposed to be talking about the news. And so people in this industry that have come after me because of that reality, the fact that I've been in the news, as opposed to somebody talking about the news, I totally get it. I take no offense to what they're saying. I'm not flawless. I'm not perfect. I'm very imperfect. I make mistakes just like anybody else. But I feel what I feel. And I think that it's incredibly important to be as transparent as one needs to be in order to make sure people understand where you Stand. And what I find funny is that there are so many people that haven't been a part of this business who are former athletes, who are individuals that have been in the entertainment industry, that have podcasts, and they're literally voluntarily expressing their opinion and either taking it on as a second job or as a hobby. When it comes to me, this is what I do. When I got into the business, into the newspaper industry, I aspired to be in the newspaper industry. My goal from day one was to be a general sports columnist. It was to have the license to open and editorialize and give my opinion on the news of the day. One of the things that we do here on the Stephen A. Smith show is we're always paying attention to what's percolating in the news. I'm going to continue to do that. I'm never, ever, ever going to lose sight of that element of my career. I'm going to always speak my truth. And why was it so important for me to be a columnist? Because before the advent of digital and social media and all of this other stuff, the newspaper industry was pretty much running the show even before talk radio took off. And in 2003, when I was named a general sports columnist, I was only the 21st African American in this nation's history to be named a sports columnist, to have a license to actually give my opinion. A lot of you out there can't comprehend that, because everybody could give their opinion today. That was not the case as recently as a little over 20 years ago. So given my opinion, sure. But reporting and everything preceded that doesn't mean I'm perfect. Sometimes I've gotten things wrong 95 to 98% of the time. That is not the case. But have I been in error in the past? Sure, I have. Will I make mistakes in the future? You're damn right I will. Because I'm human. Nobody is perfect. But I'm going to always look you in the face and tell you where I stand as a man and as a professional, what I believe, how I feel. And it's always going to be based on a preponderance of evidence that has been conveyed to me or that I've seen with my own two eyes. I am not changing in that regard, but I'm also mindful that I don't just represent myself. I represent my day job, espn. I represent Walt Disney, the company that owns it. And even though I don't work for the NBA, I'm synonymous with the NBA. I care about how they feel. And even though I don't work for my employees, they work for me. I'm mindful of how they feel as well. And I'm always going to be thoughtful to everybody. No matter who it is. I feel what I feel that I'm going to be very transparent and real in expressing that. But it's not going to be in a fashion that comes across as thoughtless to those who care about me or care about the impact that I have. That has always been me and that will continue to be me. And along the way, it's going to be fire and brimstone from time to time and headlines are going to be made and people going to ruffle feathers. And I see people out there talking about he's just looking for attention or whatever. Those folks are either idiots or they're jealous because if you're paying attention, I really don't need the attention. I already get it. So to say that I'm doing something for something I'm already getting doesn't really make sense. But they have to have something to say too. And I get that part. Just want to let everybody know that now before I get into the show, however. Cause I got a lot of NBA stuff to talk about. Gotta pay the bills with our sponsors. Take it away. All right, folks, I need you all.

[Toosie]

To stop what you're doing and listen up.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You know I love this time of year. The college basketball tournament is in full effect.

[Toosie]

And with all this action jumping off.

[Stephen A. Smith]

The Stephen A. Smith show wants to make sure you take advantage of it all.

[Toosie]

That's why we've partnered with Prize Picks.

[Stephen A. Smith]

The best place to win cash while watching sports. The app is easy to use.

[Toosie]

Just pick more or less on a.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Few player stats and you could win.

[Toosie]

Up to 1000 times your cash on a single lineup. Best of all, Prize Picks will give you $50 when you play your first five dollar lineup.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Win or lose, you'll get 50 bucks for playing.

[Toosie]

Use promo code SAS to download the app now. Again, download the app and use code.

[Stephen A. Smith]

SAS to get $50 instantly after your first $5 lineup. Prize picks Run your game. Get ready for the next round of the college basketball tournament.

[Toosie]

Please. Today I'll give you my picks for two of tonight's matchups. The Michigan Wolverines take on the Auburn Tigers and of course, the Houston Cougars take on the Purdue Boilermakers.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay, with first up, let me look at this here. Janai Broom.

[Toosie]

Will he have more or less than 18 and a half points?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm going with less.

[Toosie]

I'm going with less. The brother can play.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I know this, but I'm just of.

[Toosie]

The mindset in the game like this. I, I don't know if he's scoring.

[Stephen A. Smith]

More than 18 and a half points. That's just how I feel about it right now.

[Toosie]

Will Danny Wolf have more or less than 13 and a half points? I'm going with more on this brother.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Because I like the way he plays and I think there's going to be opportunities for him to put up more than 13 and a half points and.

[Toosie]

I think he's going to need it.

[Stephen A. Smith]

In order for them to end up victorious.

[Toosie]

Will LJ Cryer have more or less than 16 points? I'm going less with him as well.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Because again, I, I expect this matchup to, to, to, to. I don't expect an offensive explosion in this particular matchup. I expect to see more defense than.

[Toosie]

Usual, but we'll see what happens.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm guessing, because I haven't seen much of them, but I'm guessing, finally, will.

[Toosie]

Braden Smith have more or less than 13 and a half points?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm going with more. Okay.

[Toosie]

I run. I ran through these relatively quickly because I don't.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm not really interested in you getting my take. I'm interested in you getting the tech of my next guest. Joining me to talk about the college basketball tournament is a talented rapper and prize picks partner.

[Toosie]

Please welcome Toosie to the house. What's going on, big time? How are you, man? How's everything going, bro?

[Peter Tilden]

Stephen. Hey. What's going on, man?

[Toosie]

It's good to see you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

How your brackets looking, bro? How's your brackets looking, man?

[Peter Tilden]

I ain't gonna lie, man. My brackets ain't looking. I'm a Tar Heels fan, man.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You're a Tar Heels fan?

[Peter Tilden]

Yeah. Yeah, man. So I, I ain't gonna lie, man. I kind of gave up on the brackets, man. I. Listen, when, when the Tar Heels got knocked off, I said, okay, look, listen, I can't even watch this no more. This was. It was a hard year to watch for us.

[Toosie]

They haven't been the same, man.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I mean, damn.

[Toosie]

A couple years ago, they played for the national title. I see this cat, Caleb Love at North Carolina. I'm like, he was there. What the hell is he doing in Arizona? He was there.

[Peter Tilden]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm a Caleb Love fan, man. So. So when I seen. I mean, when he made the transfer, man, I. It kind of been rocky for me. You know, I was. I really wanted Arizona to win that game yesterday, man, but it was rough, man.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That's how it goes sometimes. I Understand that, man. You know, it.

[Toosie]

It drives me crazy.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I get it would have been nice, but Duke is no joke. And if you're a Carolina fan, it. It hurts to see Duke doing what he's doing. But that Brother Cooper flag is no joke. No. No joke at all. We got to stand down and concede that. Wouldn't you agree?

[Peter Tilden]

Yeah. Nah, for sure, for sure. I mean, when I. When I seen him get the recruit, I. I kind of just like, took my head off. I said, okay, it's over.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Exactly. So now I'm looking at this man, and we know. We, you know, we've got an elite eight coming up and what have you. I mean, when you think about what you've. Where your teams lie, I mean, I know you try not to pay much attention to the brackets, but I'm looking at Duke and Bama. They're about to go up against. Against one another. Florida and Texas Tech is about to go up against one another. Auburn and Michigan got to show us that we're going to find out about them. Mississippi, Michigan State, obviously they're going up against one another, so we got to pay attention to that. Duke, Alabama is going to go up against one another. Houston, Purdue and Kentucky. And Kentucky and Tennessee. But let me.

[Toosie]

Let me ask you this right now, because originally you grew up.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You know, if I remember correctly, you're from Syracuse, New York, but grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. That explains your love for the Cooper flag is on fire. And you just talked about you being a fan.

[Peter Tilden]

Yeah.

[Toosie]

It will be down to eight teams after tonight.

[Peter Tilden]

Right.

[Toosie]

Forget about how your brackets looking, because I already asked.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Toosie]

Go. Go ahead.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Go ahead. Give it to me.

[Peter Tilden]

So, honestly, man, I think. All right, I'm. I'm g. Just start with the Duke and Alabama game. I think. I think the Duke and Alabama game is going to be a great game. My only concern is this Alabama team is full of veterans. You got. You got the center that came from Ohio State.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You got that cat that. The point guard. You got Sears as well.

[Peter Tilden]

You. You got ser. You got Mark Sears. That's a veteran. You got Grant Nelson. Yeah, I mean, these. Okay, they've been. They've been in the spotlight before. So you got a lot of rookies going, going up against some guys who don't been in that spotlight. I. I think.

[Toosie]

So you're saying that you're giving Alabama.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Hold on.

[Toosie]

You're saying you're giving Alabama a chance.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Because of their experience.

[Peter Tilden]

Yeah. Yeah. I gotta go with Bama.

[Toosie]

Let me tell you why I think.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You'Re wrong about that one.

[Peter Tilden]

Okay, talk to me.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I watched Alabama in the SEC tournament. I watched them against Florida, right? And Florida's size just seemed to be a bit too much for them. They just seem to be undersized. Okay.

[Peter Tilden]

Right.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And in case you haven't noticed, Duke's got some size.

[Peter Tilden]

Oh, yeah.

[Toosie]

And, and in Cooper Flag, the brother's.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Six, eight in all world, this brother.

[Toosie]

Proctor is, is drilling shot. Is drilling shots from all over the place, right? Cooper took it to another level on Thursday night, had 37 and 6 for.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Current 37 and 6. This is what he does.

[Toosie]

The brother's special. He might probably, he's probably gonna be.

[Stephen A. Smith]

The player of the year. I can't see Alabama beating Duke. I just can't see that I could be wrong because it's, I'm gonna tell.

[Peter Tilden]

You this, Stephen A. Now, listen, it's the thing. They, they got some size. But when you got a guy like Grant Nelson, if Grant Nelson could play how he played last year in a tournament, if Grant Nelson could step up and play how he played last year in the tournament, what Mark Sears doing, what he do, because this the thing. Tyrese Proctor can't play against Alabama how he played yesterday. He only has seven points yesterday. He can't play against Alabama like that, like how he played against Arizona yesterday. So the thing is they can't rely everything to be. Now, I can't say they can't rely because Cooper Flag is a freaking nature, right? But the thing is, when you got some veterans, man, that's stepping up to the plate. Mark Sears, Grant Nelson, Clifford, they got somebody model watch, somebody gotta, they, they got to be able to shut that down in the post and put two guys on, on. I will put two guys on on flag. I will put two guys on flag and, and make the rest of the guys work. You got to show me that the.

[Toosie]

Rest of the strategy that might be, that, that might be their own strategy.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm going, I'm looking at Houston, Purdue.

[Toosie]

I'm gonna pick Houston in that one. What about you?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I just need a pick. Houston, Purdue. Who you gonna go within that matchup?

[Peter Tilden]

Man, I, I, I gotta give it to Houston. Just because they got, they, they got the grit.

[Stephen A. Smith]

They got the grit for some reason. Even though Kentucky has gotten the best.

[Toosie]

Of Tennessee, I think Tennessee might take.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Them out in this next matchup. What about you?

[Peter Tilden]

Yeah, I like, I like Tennessee in this matchup. I like Tennessee in this matchup.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Out West, I'm looking at Florida and Texas Tech, Texas Tech was the number three seed.

[Toosie]

Everybody acting like John Calipar.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And Arkansas losing last night, it was some upset. Arkansas was a 10th seed.

[Toosie]

Texas Tech was.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Was a three seed. I. I think that I. Listen, Texas Tech is nothing to sneeze.

[Toosie]

At, but I watched how they struggled.

[Stephen A. Smith]

They were down 16. I don't expect them to do anything against Florida. I think Florida is going to beat him. No doubt about that. That's where I'm at with it.

[Peter Tilden]

Yep, I got. I gotta go. Yep, I gotta go Florida on that one.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Let me go to the two games tonight. Auburn, Michigan. I'm gonna go with Auburn.

[Toosie]

Auburn went out early last year.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Bruce Pearl is.

[Toosie]

At some point in time, you got.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To get over the hump. He's got a squad. I. I think Michigan's gonna give him.

[Toosie]

A run for this money. I think this might be the best game tonight. But I'm still going with Auburn to win this game. What about you?

[Peter Tilden]

Yeah, I'm gonna go with Auburn. The only. Only difficult thing is they got those two bigs, man, and in golden and Wolf, that's the only thing.

[Stephen A. Smith]

All right, last but not least, we got Mississippi, six seed versus Michigan State. You know, I'm going with Izzo. I'm going with the coach that's been there for before that's going about seven, eight Final Fours.

[Toosie]

It's won a national championship that knows.

[Stephen A. Smith]

What the hell he's doing.

[Toosie]

I'm going with that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

In the game of this magnitude. What about you?

[Peter Tilden]

Yeah, yeah. Gotta rock with him. I ain't gonna lie. It's all about the experience now for you. You.

[Toosie]

I heard you had a big day. Pricks.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Payday.

[Toosie]

Talk.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Talk to me about that for a second.

[Toosie]

What happened with that, bro?

[Peter Tilden]

Yeah, I won. I think I won probably like yesterday. Yesterday, I think I won like 150 grand.

[Toosie]

Oh, okay.

[Peter Tilden]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We had. We had some okay wins.

[Toosie]

Okay.

[Stephen A. Smith]

All right.

[Toosie]

So. So, man, let me get personal bit.

[Stephen A. Smith]

What you do with the money, bro?

[Toosie]

What'd you do with the money?

[Stephen A. Smith]

What'd you go spending?

[Toosie]

Did you save it?

[Stephen A. Smith]

You invested? You're spending it?

[Toosie]

What you doing, man?

[Stephen A. Smith]

What you doing with it, Susie?

[Peter Tilden]

Now, listen, I've been. Me. Me and my manager been getting into these black trucks, man. So we, We. We actually working on. On starting a. A company, man, for these. For these trucks and just car services.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay.

[Peter Tilden]

And things of that nature. Yeah, luxury car services. So any money? Yeah. From these winnings. I'm trying to go buy us a truck, man. Buy us some trucks.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You know what? That's Not a bad idea. I'm serious. I mean, because you're gonna make money. You gonna make money.

[Toosie]

Hell, I might do that. I might decide. I mean, you never know.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You never know.

[Toosie]

Come on. Look, man, I. I appreciate it, man. Thanks for being on the show with me today talking about these picks, man.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I really appreciate it, bro. Good luck to you. And I know you're gonna make some money off of that truck business. I have no doubt about that.

[Toosie]

Damn it. Everybody call a new boo.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Could you. Could you imagine if we invested in Uber early?

[Peter Tilden]

Oh, my gosh.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Imagine the kind of money we made.

[Peter Tilden]

Yeah. Yeah. We out of here. We out of here.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Damn, I hate missing out. I really, really do appreciate you, bro. Thanks a lot, my man. You take it easy, okay?

[Peter Tilden]

Even I appreciate you, man.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Always take it easy. One and only two C in the.

[Toosie]

House for prize picks.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That's how we do.

[Toosie]

Let's get started in the NBA and the race for the players. With just a few weeks left in the regular season. Did y'all see what happened to the Los Angeles Lakers last night? I know you saw it. Cause I know I saw it. LA was up with just 10 seconds.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Left in a game when the Bulls stole an inbound pass from LeBron James. Kobe White got the ball, drained to three. The Lakers scored in an Austin Reeves drive to go up by one with under four seconds left.

[Toosie]

And then off the inbounds pass, Mr. Josh Giddey, formerly of the Oklahoma City Thunder, nails a buzzer beating half court heave over LeBron James to win the.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Game for the Chicago Bulls. Now the lakers are now four and six in their last 10 games and currently holding number four seed in the.

[Toosie]

West via tiebreaker over the Grizzlies, who have the Same record at 44 and 29. Some breaking news for y'all probably won't be breaking by the time this post, but the Memphis Grizzlies have just fired.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Their coach, Taylor Jenkins. They've just fired them. Okay.

[Toosie]

They're tied with the Los Angeles Lakers battling for a fourth or fifth slot.

[Stephen A. Smith]

In a Western Conference. Really a fourth spot because Grizzlies at the fifth spot right now, even though they have an identical record to the Los Angeles Lakers. And Taylor Jenkins, who I think is a pretty damn good coach, you only.

[Toosie]

Got about nine games left in the season. Why the hell would you let him go? Now then I looked at some numbers.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And I'm sad that he's gone.

[Toosie]

All right?

[Stephen A. Smith]

But here's the flip side. I think they're like 4 and 15 against the top seven teams, top seven seeds in the Western Conference playoff picture. All right, they're winless against the Oklahoma City Thunder this year. They're 1 and 3 against the Rockets. They're owing 3 against the Clippers. They're 1 and 2 against teams like the Warriors. Okay? And then you look at it. Then you look at them against the Denver Nuggets.

[Toosie]

They're 1 and 2 as well.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You're looking at this team the way.

[Toosie]

They'Ve been struggling since the All Star break.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Like an 1119 record. Can't seem to get things going. They felt like now was the time for change.

[Toosie]

Light a fire under the players, attach a level of urgency. I saw the injuries and what have you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

John Moran's been out, Jerry Jackson Junior's been out. We get that part. And. And John Morant hasn't looked the same this year. He's looked at it in moments, in spurts. We all know what an electrifying talent he is. But the John Morant that used to.

[Toosie]

Be, in terms of how he would.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Just literally take over, I think if.

[Toosie]

He was having a greater year, not.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To say he's awful because he's Ja Moran, it's impossible.

[Toosie]

But if he had a greater year.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I don't think Taylor Jenkins would be gone. They could talk about development or lack thereof for the younger players and all that stuff. I get all of that. But to fire the man, nine games left in the season, you know, and he's going to the playoffs, he's a fifth seed right now, didn't seem to make that much sense to me. But when you look at his record against some of those top tier teams, maybe that's what they're saying, maybe that's what they're looking at, and maybe that's the conclusion that they reached. Let me get back to the Lakers, because here's what we're talking about right now. Lakers in a world of trouble. And I'm gonna tell you why. Because before LeBron James goes down against Boston a couple of weeks ago and suffered that groin injury, not only were the Lakers winning basketball games, the Lakers were considered one of the top two teams in the Western Conference. It was a foregone conclusion in a.

[Toosie]

Lot of our eyes that they would.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Beat Denver, whose depth we've questioned, that they would beat the Houston Rockets, whose youth we questioned, that they would beat a team like the Los Angeles Clippers.

[Toosie]

Who, by the way, is playing good ball and James Harden is really doing.

[Stephen A. Smith]

His thing and Norman Powell has been.

[Toosie]

A stud and Ty Luka, coach's Ass off. And then you got Jeff Van Gundy, who's really upgraded their defense exponentially. But the flip side to it is that Kawhi Leonard has missed 15 of his 19 Pl. The Clippers. 15 of the last 19 playoff games.

[Stephen A. Smith]

For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard has missed.

[Toosie]

So nobody has faith that he's going.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To be somebody that you can trust.

[Toosie]

And rely upon for the Los Angeles Clippers.

[Stephen A. Smith]

No matter how good he may be.

[Toosie]

Looking right now, nobody's going to trust that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay, which brings us back to the Lakers.

[Toosie]

If you're the Los Angeles Lakers, you were supposed to be looking at it and saying, yo, they're in a good spot.

[Stephen A. Smith]

They're in a good spot.

[Toosie]

But then LeBron goes down, and after he goes down, everything seems to have fallen apart. Yeah, we had Luca doing his thing and being more assertive offensively, but we're.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Looking at the Lakers as a defensive unit and they've tailed off to some degree.

[Toosie]

Okay, for eight weeks, they were top rated defense in the NBA. Now you're looking at them and wondering what the hell is going on. So you got that business, and then on top of it all, you turn around and not only having that situation, you gotta look at it from the standpoint that you know what.

[Stephen A. Smith]

One of nine from three point range in the fourth quarter. That's what the Lakers shot Thursday night against the Bulls. 1 of 9 from 3 point range, 11%.

[Toosie]

Meanwhile, the Bulls shot 11 to 14, 79%.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Where's this defense going?

[Toosie]

Austin Reeves was balling, made that shot with under four seconds left. The brother might be the best third option in the NBA. Had 30 last night, 10 to 17 shooting all seven free throws. Three and nine for three point range. The brother can play. Austin Reeves is a special talent. He's really showing out. And props to JJ Redick and his staff with the Los Angeles Lakers for.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Looking the way that they're looking with them.

[Toosie]

But right now, we got to ask ourselves that question. When you look at the legitimacy of the Los Angeles Lakers, it is such a huge, huge question mark right now. Because as my man, big perk Kendrick.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Perkins said to me, if you look.

[Toosie]

At LeBron James from what his sources tell him, he's not 100% healthy. He's only at about 75 to 80%. Luca plays no defense. Perk keeps bringing up the statistic. He's absolutely right. Blow bys meaning opponents blowing by you as a defender. Nobody gets blown by more in the NBA than Luka Doncic since he's become a Los Angeles Laker, he's leading the league in blow bys. So that's compromising your defense as well. And as a result, the Los Angeles Lakers don't look like a shell of themselves. So here we are, ladies and gentlemen. Even though when Luca first arrived, we said the Los Angeles Lakers are going to be severely compromised because of defense, because Anthony Davis is being gone over time, we looked at them and said, you know what, there's hope, there's aspirations for this team. They could get to the Western Conference finals. Now we're looking at them and we're saying, wait a minute, if you finish as a fourth or fifth seed, being 1 and 3 since LeBron has returned, if you sit up there and you're going to be in a situation where you end up as a fourth seed or a fifth seed, that means that first round series, you're in jeopardy of not having a home court advantage in it. Number two, even if you were to face the methods Grizzlies and and you ended up beating them, you'd get Oklahoma City in the second round. And nobody thinks you're going to beat them. So the Lakers could go home before the conference finals if they fall to a sixth seed and they were locked in at the number six spot and had to go against number three, Denver, suddenly people look at them and say, wait a minute, Jokic and those brothers would beat him. So you got all of that going on. So the Lakers have gone from looking like a bonafide big time threat to come out of the west and at the least get in the way and have a face off against Oklahoma City Thunder. And in the span of a week and a half to two weeks, they've disintegrated from that to you going home.

[Stephen A. Smith]

In the first or the second round. That's what we looking at right now. That's what we looking at right now.

[Toosie]

And by the way, just a couple of stats.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Lakers starting five last night, Thursday night, shot a collective eight for 31 from three from deep. That's only 26%. In the four games since LeBron James has returned, the Lakers are one and three and have the fourth worst defensive rating in the league during this stretch, allowing 126.8 points per 100 possessions. They got outscored 44 to 26 in the fourth quarter. And oh, by the way, in those last four games, the Lakers have been a -13, -14, -12 and -9 with Luca and LeBron on the court. And they've been outscored by a total of 48 points with LeBron and Luca on the court together. LeBron might have had a brain fought in, in, in in Chicago last night, but we know that's not something he will customarily do. It happens. Luca being blown by Luca not playing defense, Luca not being, not seeming in good enough shape is a different problem and a different animal altogether. It's something that we all need to pay attention to and we cannot ignore. Now to college football and my man, the one and only Prime Time, Deion Sanders.

[Toosie]

After two years with Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders has landed five years.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Of significant financial security.

[Toosie]

Via Brian Howell of the Boulder Daily Camera, the school has announced a new five year, $54 million deal for Prime.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Time or Coach Prime. The 10.8 million per year agreement makes.

[Toosie]

Coach prime one of the highest paid.

[Stephen A. Smith]

College coaches in all of football. Okay, he makes about 10 million in 2025, 10 in 2026, 11 in 2027 and 2028, and 12 million in 2029. Deion Sanders had 18.3 million left on his original five year, $29.5 million contract. The deal also features a big buyout numbers ship. Prime want to leave for another job. Major props to him. Well deserved. Last season was a good season for him. Much, much better than the first go round, the first year when he finished like 4 and 8. But let's take into account the magnitude of who Deion Sanders is and what we're talking about here. The attention he has brought to this program is what really warrants the dollars. See, there's a difference between being a star and being box office.

[Toosie]

When you're talking about stars. Stars are people who show up and.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Do their job at a very high level. They produce, but it doesn't always translate in the box office appeal. Generating revenue for MO and you know, for a multitude of platforms that you may have available to you. Deion Sanders is that dude for the University of Colorado.

[Toosie]

Wasn't a damn soul in America outside.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Of Boulder thinking about Colorado before Deion Sanders arrived. Matter of fact, they were one in 11 before he arrived. They improved by three games his first year, by four on top of that the next year. The man is special. The man has done a great job and his ability to recruit, I don't think anybody denies it's going to be a challenge. No doubt about that. Being in Boulder, Colorado, in my estimation, I've always been on the record. I would love to see him in the SEC if he's going to be in college football. I've always felt that way. But There is no denying the magnetism that he has. He's a box office dude. When he walks in, he. He owns the room. He is that dude. He's the one and only. Prime Time got a lot of love for him. He deserves this contract. I'm happy for him. And all that noise about his son and brash and arrogant and all of this other stuff. Deion said he knows who what quarterback coach said at the bottom and it was dealt with. In the end, you gonna have people hating on Deion and they're not gonna wanna deal with him. And maybe the thought of having to deal with him is what's turning them off about Shador. But if you wanna win, here's a piece of advice from Stephen A. Get the hell over it. Prime is a winner and anything he touches I think is upward mobility waiting to happen. That's just me.

[Toosie]

Coming up, Cooper Flag goes off as.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Duke advances to the Elite eight. I'll get into that and what he could do at the next level. But first, a blogger for MSNBC accuses yours trooper of being a megaphone for maga. I'll get into that. I'm not running from it. That's up next right here on the Stephen A. Smith Show. Don't go away.

[Toosie]

All right, everybody, listen up. With all the big time sports action that's happening each and every day, the.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Stephen A. Smith show wants to make sure you are taking advantage of it all.

[Toosie]

That's why we've partnered with Prize Picks.

[Stephen A. Smith]

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[Toosie]

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[Stephen A. Smith]

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[Toosie]

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[Stephen A. Smith]

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[Toosie]

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[Stephen A. Smith]

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[Toosie]

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[Stephen A. Smith]

Run your game from the executive producers of Hell and gone comes a new podcast investigating the serial murders orchestrated by.

[Jason Alexander]

South African cult leader Cecilia Stein.

[Stephen A. Smith]

She conditioned them to be monsters.

[Peter Tilden]

She was telling people the Bible says.

[Toosie]

She must go and kill, but actually.

[Stephen A. Smith]

She was taking revenge. We are all so horrified by the.

[Toosie]

Idea that a mother would sully her.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Daughter in this way. Listen to Queen Havoc and her murder.

[Jason Alexander]

Cult on the iHeartRadio app or wherever.

[Unknown]

You get your podcasts, PayPal lets you pay all your pals like your graduation gifters. Who's paying for the mattress topper? You mean the beanbag chair? Aren't we getting a mini fridge?

[Jason Alexander]

Can we create a pool on PayPal? It lets us collect the money before we buy.

[Unknown]

Ooh y smart. Glad we can agree on something easily. Pool split and Send Money with PayPal. Get started in the PayPal app. A PayPal account is required to send and receive money. A balance account is required to create a pool.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Welcome back to the Stephen A. Smith Show. I want to get to an article written about me recently by a gentleman from msnbc. His name is Jahan Jones and he essentially called me a mouthpiece for the far right MAGA movement. He cites the appearances of Candace Owens, Sean Hannity and other prominent voices from the right on this podcast as reasons for his premise. Here's a portion of what he wrote on MSNBC.com in an article titled ESPN Stephen A. Smith is a Megaphone for MAGA Propaganda. Jones says, quote, Stephen A. Smith's embrace of the MAGA movement and its influencers has only continued in recent days. For example, he has spoken with right wing commentators Ben Shapiro, Megyn Kelly and Bill O'Reilly. You might be thinking that these were adversarial chats between a left leaning centrist and a conservative, but to adroit listeners, they can come across more as conservatives in friendly discussion than anything else. Smith's overt politicism seems to fly in the face of ESPN's apparent effort in recent years to deter some of its talent from speaking on controversial political matters. Either way, the network's most recognizable host is now regularly platforming MAGA propaganda at will. End quote. Now my team reached out to Jones to have a discussion about the article. I wanted to invite him on the show to talk with me one on one. Personally, I hope we get the opportunity to have that dialogue. He was busy. He didn't avoid the call or anything like that. It was no comment or anything like that. He didn't say anything. He was just very, very busy. What we called at the last minute, no shade on him. That's why it didn't happen. But in the meantime, let me express to you what I think about what he wrote. I think that's the exact problem with the left. You see, if I don't agree with you, I must be maga. It must be the case I'm platforming MAGA propaganda Is that so? I don't view it that way. First of all, even though Eileen left, particularly with how I vote with presidential elections, I want to emphasize that I've always been a centrist. My entire life, I've never once described myself as a Democrat or a Republican. I'm a centrist. I'm a moderate. I don't trust either side. I'm not on one side of the other, hook, line of sinker. You will see images or you'll hear me rattle off names of people who've been on this show. Yes. You see Ben Shapiro there. Yes. You see Bill O'Reilly there. Yes. I was recently on Megan's Megyn Kelly Show. Did you know I'm on News Nation with Chris Cuomo every week? Did you know that I just appeared with Jake Tapper on cnn? Do you know I've been on MSNBC on several occasions? Do you know? Yes. Sean Hannity is my friend. It's not because of his politics. It's because I've known the man for 23 years and I know him outside of politics and I appreciate the relationship that we have. I'm not apologizing for that. Let me add another name so you can further excoriate me. Mark Levin, the Great one. That's what they call him on conservative talk radio. I know him well, too. I've also had Clay Travis on this show before. I know him as well, at least a little bit. Not as well as the other two. Okay.

[Toosie]

That is absolutely positively factual.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Can I, can I give you a couple other names? Johan Jones, would you allow me to.

[Toosie]

People that have been on this show. Yes.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Candace Owens was on this show. Absolutely true. And you brought up the right wingers. You brought up Hannity and Megyn Kelly and like I said, Ben Shapiro. You even knocked me for, you know, saying that Ben Shapiro is a brilliant dude. Just because you disagree with him, don't make him dumb. Dude is smart. He's very smart. But did you bring up Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania? Do you bring up Wes Moore, the governor, Maryland? Did you bring up Hakeem Jeffries, the.

[Toosie]

Minority leader for the House of Representatives for the United States of America? He was on this show. Did you bring up Areva Martin, legal analyst on the left, was a part of Kamala Harris's campaign, by the way, on the show on several occasions? Did you bring up Cory Booker, senator for the state of New Jersey, who's also been on this show? How about Cornell West? Remember when he was on the show? He's been there videos on John Jones, I mean, you're a very busy guy. I assume you might have missed this. All of these people were on my show. Michael Cohen, who's the biggest critic, the former lawyer for Donald Trump, who excoriates him at every turn. He was on the show. Oh, how many times has Roland Martin been on the show? Let's not forget him. I've had folks from both sides. Let me tell you something else. Did you know that Gavin Newsom has been invited here on numerous occasions and still hasn't accepted? Did you know that Kamala Harris was.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Vit on here during the run for the presidencies during the election? She didn't come on.

[Toosie]

Did you know vice president candidate, Democratic vice presidential candidate, Tim Walsh, the governor of Minnesota? He was invited on here. Didn't come. Oh, by the way, did you know.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That Andrew Cuomo was on.

[Toosie]

Came. Came on the show for an hour. Did you know that the mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, was on.

[Stephen A. Smith]

The show for an hour?

[Toosie]

If they came on the show and they spoke, is it propaganda or is it how they feel? See, that's what you're missing in all of this. Do I agree with everything Megyn Kelly says?

[Stephen A. Smith]

No.

[Toosie]

Do I agree with everything? Sean had it. He says no. Do I agree with anything that any of those folks on the right feel? So I don't agree with everything, but they feel that way. And so now we have to get into a discussion as to whether or not they have a right to express their points of views and whether or not you have a salient point to debunk what they're going to throw in our direction before you excoriate them. You work for msnbc. Let's talk about MSNBC for a second. Did you know that Joy Reid was invited on the show?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm not happy that her show is gone, Johanna.

[Toosie]

I'm not happy. I respect Joy Reid. Did I agree with everything she said?

[Stephen A. Smith]

No.

[Toosie]

Do I agree with how she did some things? No. Because if you come across as too vitriolic as a black person, I know in corporate America, that's gonna be counted against you more than it's going to be counted for you. I get that part. But I also knew the, you know, the dramatic drop in the ratings that they said took place since the election ended. I saw Morning Joe with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, who I respect, but they bought in to calling Trump and alluding to certain things when it came to Trump. Now, I don't remember whether it was specifically Nazis or. Or other things but certainly their rhetoric towards him was incendiary. And what happened after he won the election? They were at Mar a Lago, and everybody's joking about how Trump is making folks come kiss the ring. You know why? Because guess what? He won. Despite being impeached twice, despite 34 felony convictions, despite. Despite the popular cases that were thrown against him, he still won. And so what I'm saying to you is that when we're having that kind of discussion, that's what we got to take into consideration. These kind of things happen. And then you're looking at me and you're saying, he's. He's. He's.

[Stephen A. Smith]

He's platforming them. No, I am a journalist by trade.

[Toosie]

I'm going to interview you and give you an opportunity to answer the questions that people want to know and see what they have, see what they have to say about it. And y'all be the judge. I'll try to ask piercing and poignant questions. And if I don't know something, I don't know something. And if I don't have as much knowledge as you, Johan, I get that part, but it ain't platforming to listen to what other people have to say. They gonna say it anyway. If I interview Trump tomorrow, I'm gonna be accused of platforming Trump. If I ask him about the 34 felony convictions, if I ask him about being impeached twice, or if I avoid that because he's the president, despite all of that, and I'm asking them about inflation, what you gonna do about that? I'm asking them about the war in Ukraine. Why are you coming across to somebody that's siding against Ukraine and siding with Putin? If I asked them about illegals or illegal immigrants in this country and how successful it is, or lack thereof.

[Stephen A. Smith]

If.

[Toosie]

I see him trying to push a case to the Supreme Court so he should be allowed to deport anybody that he wants to that's here illegally. All you could do is listen to the answer, bro. But Democrats don't get that. And when we call and when we talk about me getting on the Democrats, you want to point out some of the things that I said? Okay. Primarily, I have voted Democrat. This is you quoting me in your blog? I have voted Democrat throughout my life, but I'm utterly disgusted with what I'm seeing. Why should not be? Why aren't you?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Johan?

[Toosie]

Did you see what the Democrats did leading into the election? Did you see how Kamala Harris went on national television and said she doesn't really see anything differently, that she would do compared to what Joe Biden was doing? Did you see Obama deport more illegal immigrants in this country than even Donald Trump did during his tenure as president, but Joe Biden take office and literally open the borders? Did you see crime taking place in the street? Did you see people getting arrested and getting let out of jail the same day? Do you see what's happening in California now where there's reports that the state of California is running low on money and literally Medicare is jeopardized because of over a billion dollars that was spent on illegal immigrants? Did you see this state legislature pass legislation protecting migrants and illegal immigrants from federal enforcement by the Trump administration? We're paying attention. We're seeing what's going on. Everybody's not going to feel what you feel. The thing is, you ask the question and you listen. But in the end, this side won. When I said that they engaged in law fair. You're damn right I brought it up. Do you know why I brought it up, John? Mr. Johan Jones, do you know why I brought it up? I brought it up because I'm ticked off that that's what they thought it would take in order to beat Trump. A, because it didn't work, and B, where's your bullpen? Kamala is what you had. I respect our former vice president of the United States. I wish her luck. I hope she runs for the gubernatorial.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Seat in the state of California.

[Toosie]

But when she ran for president in 2020, she couldn't even make it to Iowa. And all of a sudden, y'all wanted us to act like she was a rock star. Because you wanted Biden going so badly after his debilitating performance on a June 27 debate stage. Tim Walsh, you picked him when everybody practically in the party thought or not everybody, but a lot of people thought that Josh Shapiro would have been a prime candidate. They said, this guy's a star and he's running up in the state of Pennsylvania. Well, and he isn't married to certain leftist policies, extreme leftist progressive policies, the way Tim Walsh would have been. He would have been a better candidate.

[Stephen A. Smith]

For Kamala Harris to ultimately win this race.

[Toosie]

These are the kind of things that were being said. These are the kind of things that was going on. And what I'm saying is pick the best candidate. Pick the best chance for you to win. How do you believe that Tim Walsh is gonna give you a better chance to win than Josh Shapiro? Why wasn't Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland, more prolific voice out there on the scene? I'd vote for him in A heartbeat. But us pointing out these things that are wrong with the Democratic Party makes me bad. Makes me a megaphone for the MAGA left or the mega right. I happen to believe certain things. I don't. I don't have a problem with. I don't have a problem with trying to address inflation. I don't have a problem with saying we can't have over 12 million illegal immigrants crossing the borders and we do nothing about that. I don't have a problem with people saying folks who commit crimes but need to have their behind in jail. I don't have a problem with that. I don't have a problem with sitting there and, and, and, and discussing or at least debating the viability of eradicating all student loans. I had to pay mine. Most American citizens had to pay theirs. If we want to have a debate about where the money should be spent and stuff like that. I get that there's certain things that shouldn't be debatable. You shouldn't be allowed to roam free in this country illegally. You shouldn't be allowed to commit crimes in the street and avoid arrest. You shouldn't be allowed out of jail the same day you were put in jail for engaging in illegal activity, period. There are certain things that are just basic, and it is general. You don't have to go into the weeds. I know the MAGA right ain't right all the time. I don't trust what comes out of Donald Trump's mouth. I get that part. But when we want to sit up there and look at the latest controversy that they're involved in, in terms of national security information, in terms of.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Of, of. Of attacking the hoodies.

[Toosie]

With Mr. Hegseth himself, who to me falls under a DEI category, by the way. And we want to talk about this man being fired. Were y'all talking about people being fired when Biden pulled troops out of Afghanistan, when at least 13 lives were lost, when billions in equipment were left in Afghanistan, the sloppy manner in which we parted ways, Were you talking about the same thing then? Because this ain't worse than that. It could have been, but is it? What was it? People are allowed to have their opinions. At the end of the day, you got the right leaning on the left, pointing out the left's hypocrisy and double talking more effectively than the left is able to do to the right. Trump's not admitting he's wrong. Trump's not going to come out there and admit this.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I did this wrong. I did that wrong.

[Toosie]

He's not going to do it. He's likely going to lie out of his teeth every chance he has. He has an opportunity to do so. Not going to tell you the truth. He's loaded. The supreme court. It's a 63 majority. We're going to ignore the role that Ruth Bader Ginsburg played in that when she refused to retire while Obama was in office and they wanted her to depart. We're going to deny the fact that she refused to do so because she wanted a woman to insert her successor. Assuming Hillary Rodham Clinton will win the election, willing to take that risk and letting her ego get in the way. We just going to ignore that. God rest us soul, but it's the truth. We're going to ignore that. We're going to ignore all the stuff that we've learned since the election about how they knew how debilitated Joe Biden was. We're just going to continue to ignore these things, huh? Not going to have any discussion. They're on the right, so there's no reason to listen to them.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm not that dude. On this platform, it's very, very important that I say to y'all this. On this platform, it's very, very important. We understand this. I'm going to talk to everybody that I can. I have a statement. And by the way, in the same blog, Johan Jones alluded to me saying something about the Tea Party that was formed once Obama was in office and I gave some weak, lame excuse. I don't know what you're talking about. What I do know is that I think people have a right to feel differently. We have a Republican and a Democratic Party in the United States of America along with an independent party. There are people who feel differently. That's just the way that it goes. I totally understand that. I get it. But I've been on a record stating in the past I can interview the the Ku Klux Klan and I wouldn't blink. They I can as long as I can ask them what I want to ask them. Their answers are their answers. It's for you to absorb and to take. On this platform, I'll interview anybody that's resonating with the masses about significant pertinent issues. I will do that. Left, right in the middle. It does not matter to me. I'm always going to be that way.

[Toosie]

That's not providing a megaphone for one side.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You're going to go on recent interviews.

[Toosie]

Do you know why the recent interviews took place? Because most of the people I was interviewing was on the left. You didn't write about it then. And when you see people using sound from me to milk what they can from it, to publicize it and create headlines from it, that's just because the right is doing it more effectively than the left. Because I'm on left, left, leftist platforms all the time. I recently did an interview with Karen Hunter. I've been on a Breakfast Club. I just told you about Jake Tapper. I told you I've been on MSNBC shows. I'm on News Nation all the time. Laura Coates and Abby Phillip. I've been on both of their shows several times. Let's not forget that. Let's not forget that. Johan Jones. Just because you don't publicize it doesn't mean that I didn't say anything that the left would agree with. You just don't do a good job. You know why?

[Stephen A. Smith]

And I'm talking about you specifically, Jahad Jones.

[Toosie]

I'm talking about the left overall. You know why? Because the right takes what they can.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Get to disseminate and publicize their message. The left wants to hand pick who they want to be messengers instead of.

[Toosie]

Listening to the public say to them.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Excuse me, this is how we feel. This is where we coming from. This is what we stand on. That's who we support. I've told you many times, the right pick Trump. The constituency out there, the voters, they.

[Toosie]

Said, we want Trump. Not to say it is not Christie, not Ramaswamy, not Nikki Haley. No, no, no, we want him. The Democratic Party is always intervening and.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Getting in the way of what the voters want. That's why y'all lost. And if you don't learn, you're going to continue to do this. And my last point is this. I'm sick and tired of people bringing up Stephen A for espn. This is Stephen A. Smith Show. It has nothing to do with ESPN. This is 100% owned and operated by me. As my man Shannon Sharp likes to say about his club, Shay Shay, I am the sole proprietor. This is my shop. This has nothing to do with espn. This is mine. Secondly, I've always talked about politics and I've always crossed political and sports talk number two. Number three, when ESPN arrived and they gave that mandate more than seven years ago now about minimizing the political talk they were talking about primarily over their airwaves, not just their talent. I've been talking about politics for ages. I've been given social commentary. I shouldn't even say politics because I always give social commentary and I always will. As long as I'm breathing And I'm in this business. It comes with it. It's not changing. This is not a right wing platform. This is not a left wing platform. This is Stephen A. Smith's platform. And I'll discuss what I want to discuss with whomever I damn well please. By the way, Representative Clyburn is going to be on soon.

[Toosie]

Representative Eric Swalwell.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Swalwell will be on soon.

[Toosie]

Ro Connor out of California. I've had the pleasure of meeting him and I appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher. He's going to be on the show. Oh, by the way, Bill Maher has been on the show not once but twice. He'll be back on the show.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Kamala Harris has been offered to be on the show since the election. She's declined. I'm still trying to get Gavin Newsom. He's declined.

[Toosie]

I'm not finished.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Nancy Pelosi want to get her on one day.

[Toosie]

She's welcome to. Come on.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Folks on the left have got to stop blaming other people for your own self inflicted wounds. The fact of the matter is most of y'all people don't want to hear from. Jasmine Crock is welcomed on the show. AOC Alexandria, Ocasio Cortez, she's definitely welcomed on this show. Bernie Sanders, he's welcome on the show.

[Toosie]

Nobody's hiding.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I have never been a fan of listening to Elizabeth Warren. I respect her as a senator for the United States. I expect her work, etc.

[Toosie]

I got one problem with Senator Elizabeth.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Warren and one problem only. No other problem other than this.

[Toosie]

Every time I listen to her speak.

[Stephen A. Smith]

She makes me feel like if you don't agree to her, you're destined for hell. You have no soul.

[Toosie]

You have to agree with every syllable that she's uttering. Otherwise you're going to hell.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Lightning's gonna strike you down.

[Toosie]

She can't. There can be no alternative to anything that she says. It has to be her or something.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Is wrong with your soul. That's her. I mean the one I watch when I see her talking.

[Toosie]

That's the only reason that I've never.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Desired to interview her.

[Toosie]

Because I don't want to feel like I'm going to hell just because I don't. That's it.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Nothing else. So, Jahan Jones, hopefully you'll be on the show soon. But I respectfully yet strongly disagree with your assertion about me. Patrick Bet David has been on this show. Relatively conservative guy. PBD podcast. I happen to agree with a lot of things he says. I happen to agree with some things Sean Hannity says, just like I agree with some things Jake Tapper says, just like I agree with some things Cameron Hunter says, just like I agree with Chris Cuomo and some things he says.

[Toosie]

That'S how I roll.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I go on a case by case basis. I'm not an ideologue. I don't trust that. And I don't think that's good for this country. That's where I stand. I definitely agree with some things Andrew Cuomo says. And as long as Andrew Cuomo or Eric Adams is the mayor of New York City, moving forward, I'm going to feel good about New York City. And I'll tell anybody who listens, I don't give a damn to show you. To show you, Jahan Jones, how much of a centrist I am. Do you know, in all likelihood, if I'm in Florida and I'm voting for the next governor, the next governor of Florida, I would vote for Byron Donald, who's a right. Who's a right wing guy whose support of Trump I certainly am not fond of. But I'm fond of him. But nobody would be tops on my list for the presidency of the United States more than Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland. He's the one. I've never campaigned for anybody in my life. He's the one person I would consider campaigning for. I think he's the real deal. I think that if you're the left, that's somebody you should rally behind. Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland, in my opinion, should be the next president of the United States of America. Not me. Him. I believe in that, brother. I truly, truly do. And I think the more people get to know him, the more they'll believe in him, too. And I'm telling you right here over these national airways, if you are on the left or you are, or a moderate, a centrist, I understand the right's gonna do what they gonna do. My God, this is a man you should get to know. You should rally behind him. That man right there. I wouldn't hesitate. See how I think some of it might make sense to you, some of it might not. That's the way it goes. I'm married to no side. I'm about people and I'm about issues and I'm about compromise because that's what really makes the world go round in a very positive way.

[Toosie]

Coming up, Cooper flag drops 30 on Arizona as Duke advances to the Elite Eight. But how will his game translate to the NBA?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'll answer that question before I close out the show. Next on the Stephen Hicksman Show. Back with Morning men. What's up everybody? Stephen A. Smith here. Recently we made news because the great Bill O'Reilly announced a tour that's coming nearest you in the very, very near future. Get your tickets now for this. It's called Three Americans Live March 30th at Live Nation's Flagstar at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island. Don't miss the very first show as myself, Chris Cuomo and yes, that man Bill O'Reilly take our different ideas, our different backgrounds, our different beliefs across the country to demonstrate that respectful, meaningful and even fun conversation. Those are the things that make America as great as it should be. The show will be spirited, unscripted, and all three of us will let it fly as we discuss the topics everyone is thinking about these days. There will also be questions from the audience. We're not running. Tickets are officially on sale now with Pre sale code [e-mail] VIP packages are available with the opportunity to meet and take photos with myself and both those fellas. That's three Americans live March 30th at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island. Additional dates and cities to be announced. Don't miss it. Trust me, you'll get a kick out of it.

[Jason Alexander]

On the podcast really Know Really. Join best friends Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden along with experts, newsmakers and celebrities in a search for answers to life's most baffling, intriguing and annoying questions. You know those things that make you go really? No, really.

[Peter Tilden]

I think There was a 17 year old in Rhode island who ran a candidate that was a deep fake.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Really?

[Toosie]

Wait, wait, that's news to me. That's really no really right there.

[Jason Alexander]

Really no really listen to really know really on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts, PayPal lets you.

[Unknown]

Pay all your pals like your graduation gifters. Who's paying for the mattress topper? You mean the beanbag chair? Aren't we getting a mini fridge?

[Jason Alexander]

Can we create a pool on PayPal? It lets us collect the money before we buy.

[Unknown]

Ooh, yes, that's smart. Glad we can agree on something easily. Pool split and Send Money with PayPal get started in the PayPal app. A PayPal account is required to send and receive money. A balance account is required to create a pool.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Welcome back to Stephen A. Smith Show. Let's get to the NCAA Tournament real quick, please, as the Final Four will be set after this weekend. Here's the latest bracket after the first two rounds and the first day of the Sweet 16.

[Toosie]

The top seeds of Duke, Houston, Alabama.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And Auburn are all still alive heading into today's action. But I want to focus on Duke's Cooper Flag, who put up 30 as in 30.6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks.

[Toosie]

Believe the Blue Devils pass Arizona last.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Night in the Sweet sixteen. Ladies and gentlemen, this brother, Cooper Flag, is the real deal. He's the real deal. Legit 6, 8 with a J, with a handle, with passing ability, with poise, plays on both ends, plays defense and offense, can hit, goes to the free throw line. I mean, this brother is something special. And he's probably going to win national Player of the Year the way Duke is looking right now, Even though I was thinking Florida, I think Cooper Flagg might win the national title if he does that. Even if he doesn't do that, I think he'll be the number one overall pick in the NBA draft. I think people are salivating. Listen, I'm trying to figure this out, and I'll let my producers get in my ear if they think I'm making a horrible comparison here. I'm thinking box office. I think this is the greatest white prospect since Larry Bird. I think this is the greatest white American prospect since Larry Bird. A matter of fact, in an odd way, he might end up being. I mean, this kid's got superstar written all over him because he's got a game. But his demeanor fits the bill. He doesn't back down. He's rough and tumble, but is classy in the same breath. Can go to his left or his right, can pull up mid range, long range, finish at the basket. He's got all the tools. But you know what else he has that Larry Bird doesn't have? I'm not saying he could shoot like Larry Bird because Larry Bird's a different animal, but who knows this brother, his name, ladies and gentlemen, they're already marketing him. And you see the flag behind him or you see him superposed within the bag and within his name is Cooper Flag. You put the American flag behind. Oh, my God.

[Toosie]

I mean, do you have yet.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Do you have any idea how marketable that is?

[Toosie]

Squeaky clean, brother. That's a superstar that happens to be white and his last name is Flag. Nobody, nobody in America need. Needs to even try to compete with.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Him in endorsement deals.

[Toosie]

Oh, my Lord. Oh, my goodness. It's crazy.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Cooper Flag, and he got the game to back it up. The brother's special. But let me tell you what the interesting part about him is. We had this discussion this morning on First Take, where We were talking about Amount Rushmore of Duke University players. Because Duke obviously has had many, many, many players throughout the years, okay? And we get that part. I don't think you can touch Christian Laitner. Just too successful at Duke. Just too successful, okay? Deliver them a national title, the whole bit. A couple of them, actually, right? Grant Hill has to be number one. And I'm going to tell you why that is. Because Grant Hill was the one that enabled the Blue. The Duke Blue devils to beat UNLV. Y'all remember the 90s, UNLV, the running rebels, Stacy Ogman, Larry Johnson, Anderson Hunt, Greg Anthony. I mean, my Lord, these brothers had it, okay? And I'm telling you right now.

[Toosie]

When.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I think about Duke and I think about Grant Hill, this is what I'm thinking about right here. Because I'm thinking about the fact that they had gotten annihilated by about 30, the UNLV in a national championship game the year before this next GO round. Same team going up against the same Duke team outside of Grant Hill. And Grant Hill is the reason they were able to beat UNLV that next year. So Grant Hill is number one. Grant Hills didn't number one, Christian Laettner. And I'm gonna put my man Jay Williams from espn, who is a national player of the year and won a national championship. I'm gonna put my man Jay Williams up there on that Mount Rushmore, a great Duke players. And fourth is going to be Cooper Flag. That's how I gotta look at it, y'all. I'm just trying to look at it right now. I'm just saying to myself, my goodness, I'm trying to look up these numbers.

[Toosie]

Because I want to make sure that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm right, you know? But I'm telling you right now, I'm.

[Toosie]

Just looking at it right here, right now.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Let's go through the list.

[Toosie]

We're here. They had never won a national championship.

[Stephen A. Smith]

In the program's history until 1990. 91, 91, 92, they won. But if you remember, they lost in the national championship game to UNLV. 103, 73. And then the very next year, in 1990, 91, is when they won their first national title. Grant Hill, Christian Laitner, top two. Jay Williams in 2000, 2001, okay? Jay Williams, they beat Arizona, okay?

[Toosie]

They were 35 and 4 that year.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Shane Battier was on that team. Jay was only had 16 that game. Mike Dunleavy had 21. He led them in scoring.

[Toosie]

Shane Battier had 18.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay? Richard Jefferson was on the Arizona squad with Gilbert Arenas. Gilbert Arenas had 10 that game.

[Toosie]

Richard Jefferson had 19.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Lauren woods had 22. But they lost that game 82.72 to Duke. Jay Williams and now Cooper flag. They got booze and other guys. I know that. Bobby Hurley. Can't forget all of these guys. They had a lot of great teams. No doubt. J.J. redick was fantastic. One of the great shooters. Never won a national championship, but one of the great shooters in Duke's history. No doubt. But I gotta go with Cooper Flag. Cooper flag. He's on. I'm telling you, he was a national championship. He's got to win a national championship.

[Toosie]

Got winning national championship. National player of the year.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That brother's one of the top four plays in the history of the Duke program. Let's get to the tweets before I get on out here, please. Show it to me, please. What you got Here at the Lakers Forum, right. Stephen A. Smith. Who's the best live action Batman, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale or Ben Affleck? Easily. Christian Bale, easily. I love Michael Keaton. You know, I get that. Ben Affleck, I love him, too. But they weren't great as Batman. Christian Bale. Spectacular with Heath Ledger as the Joker. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I mean, it's special. Definitely, definitely. Christian Bale, easily. That was the easiest tweet I could. I mean, action pack and those Batman movies. The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight.

[Toosie]

Rise.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I mean, my God. Christian Bale, easily. Let's go to the next one, please. Stephen A. Smith. Are the warriors legit contenders? They're 16 and 4 after making the trade for Jimmy Butler. I think they're too small, but I think the greatness of Steph Curry. If Jimmy Buckets comes and he's playoff Jimmy, I definitely think they can knock somebody off. And they're good enough to get to the conference finals. I don't think it'll happen, but I think they're good enough where you can label them a contender because they can knock somebody off and they could become a viable threat. Next up, what you got? Let's see here at Miriam. Miriam Webster as a Webster, Stephen A. Smith. What word is the goat? What word is the goat From Webster's dictionary? You know what I think? Reciprocal or reciprocation? You know that that's my cure to stress. People that work for me, they'll tell you that you stress me, I'm gonna stress you. You don't want stress. Don't bring no stress. Excuse the double negative. That's me. Reciprocation that's my favorite word. Last one. What you got at Smiley?

[Toosie]

Yyc right?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Stephen A. Smith. Hi, Stephen, you're stuck on a long flight. Which musician would you want sitting next to you? Thanks. Bella B. In Calgary. Which musician would I want sitting next to me? Well, Beyonce wouldn't be a bad choice. That would come to mind. Well, hell, Jay Z too. Even though Jay Z would torture me about his sports knowledge and how he's superior to me in that regard. So both HOV and Beyonce definitely come to mind. We try to throw out another name there. Let me see what I think about that. Snoop Dogg. Because we we'd be talking sports all day long. We're talking sports all day long, Snoop Dogg. That's what I would tell you. Those are my answers. That's it for this edition of the Stephen A. Smith Show. Got a a slew of NCAA games to look forward to this weekend. So I'm gonna be right on top of that. I hope you all enjoyed it. I hope y'all had a good time. I loved y'all joining me today. I hope you appreciate my comments about sports, politics and beyond. Always appreciate it. Keep the love coming and I'm going to keep on coming. Enjoy your weekend and I'll be back with you on Monday. Same bad time and channel. Until then. Stephen A. Signing off. Peace and love. Y'all take care.

[Unknown]

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[Jason Alexander]

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