Stephen A. Smith Lashes Out At Kyrie Irving & The Haters

The controversial Stephen A. Smith has proved time and time again that he does not care what kind of backlash he receives for the statements he makes. Smith regularly doubles down on his opinions, and has become one of the most opinionated men in sports.

Smith recently called NBA player Kyrie Irving an inherently selfish player for how Irving is refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. As you might imagine, that isn’t sitting well with many fans and as usual, they have let Smith know how they feel. Smith discussed Irving’s decision during ESPN’s First Take yesterday.

Smith said he’s been covering the NBA for almost 25 years and the Kyrie situation is some of the “stupidest nonsense” he’s ever seen.

So you don’t have a problem with taking the vaccine? Your position is that you’re going to sit up there and compromise the championship aspirations of a Nets organization you signed on to represent. You coaxed Kevin Durant into signing on to represent. You played a role in coaxing James Harden to signing on to represent. You’re gonna compromise all of that because you want to give a voice to the voiceless? You asked KD and James Harden to come on board to Brooklyn to establish your own legacy, and then you leave them hanging.

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Smith, who celebrated his 54th birthday yesterday, tweeted a clip of the First Take comments and doubled down once again. He wrote, “Damn right I said this S&&@ about Kyrie Irving. And I meant every damn word. Nobody’s backing up”

Smith later tweeted a video showing how some fans continued to harass him over his Kyrie talk at a club that night as he was celebrating his birthday. Smith went full Joker and engaged with the fans, making it clear that he will not be stepping down or backing off anytime soon.

What do you think of Smith’s stance on Kyrie? Do you think professional athletes should be mandated to get the COVID-19 vaccine? Sound off in the comments below!

(H/T to HNHH)