ESPN
- Stephen A. Smith wasn’t a fan of this year’s NBA Dunk Contest.
- As a result, he described the event as being a “global atrocity.”
- Smith’s comments come as an actual global atrocity unfolds in Ukraine, making his quote quite tone deaf.
Stephen A. Smith picked quite a bad time to crank up his Stephen A. Smithness, as his disgust with this year’s NBA Dunk Contest led him to describe the event as a “global atrocity” on Thursday’s episode of the hit ESPN debate show.
The quote made its way into a chyron (that’s the business term for the blurb on the bottom of the screen) and has since been screenshotted and is making the rounds on the internet as Smith’s comments just so happen to come as an *actual* global atrocity is unfolding in Ukraine.
Pretty shocked that this is real pic.twitter.com/DrziUYwsyi
— Kyle Koster (@KyleKoster) February 24, 2022
I’m actually watching Friday’s episode of First Take as we speak to see if it’s mentioned or if Smith apologizes, and 30 minutes into the program, neither of those things have happened. The show instead opened with a discussion about what’s at stake for James Harden in Philadelphia before discussing DeMar DeRozan’s MVP chances.
While Stephen A. doesn’t appear as though he’ll be addressing his comments, the internet certainly hasn’t forgotten:
The world: Falling to pieces
Stephen A Smith: pic.twitter.com/vlrKi63pP7
— Lucy Burdge (@LucilleBurdge) February 24, 2022
Look, I get the Stephen A. Smith bit. 10,000%. It’s pro wrestling sports talk TV.
But imagine having the, let’s say “unmitigated gall,” to say something like this today. Dunk contest, global atrocity, FOH. pic.twitter.com/9p3zoR18Hl
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) February 24, 2022
Literal global atrocity happening…
SAS: pic.twitter.com/QmqtPWnSDJ— vicken.eth (@v1ckenmat) February 24, 2022
https://twitter.com/Gus_Yorton/status/1496875538564231172
At this restaurant there’s a TV showing ESPN and there’s a caption saying “STEPHEN A.: ‘THE DUNK CONTEST WAS A GLOBAL ATROCITY’” so either Mr. A is pushing the limits of hyperbole or the NBA’s war crimes tribunal should be starting soon.
— ewen_cluney.txt (@nekoewen) February 24, 2022
You can see the full video of Smith’s rant below:
While bloviation has been Stephen A. Smith’s modus operandi for over a decade now, his timing in rolling out this particular metaphor obviously comes off as misguided and tone deaf.
As for the actual results of the dunk contest, New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin won the competition by beating Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson in the finals after Jalen Green and Cole Anthony were eliminated in the opening round.
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