Stephen A. Smith spends a lot of time talking on air, covering everything from the NBA to the NFL to UFC while on ESPN and his own platforms. The man works more than most in sports media. His long hours and excessive talking sometimes lead to some slip-ups.
Smith has been caught making mistakes before. He has said the wrong name or put a player on the wrong team. The boisterous analyst did it again, except this time it was with someone on his favorite basketball team, the New York Knicks.
In a clip on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on YouTube, the analyst talked about the Knicks' big win over the Milwaukee Bucks. He said he liked what he saw from the team and name-dropped a few of the players who impressed him in the win.
“I am looking at Grimes, he has looked good. I am looking at Isaiah Hartenstein as a reserve giving you activity off the bench, and I am looking at Mitchell Robinson being here and back on the court,” Smith said.
The only issue is Quentin Grimes is no longer on the Knicks. He was traded to the Detroit Pistons in the deal for Bojan Bogdanovic.
Smith was called out online for making the mistake. To his credit, the ESPN host owned up to his error.
“Thank you — and @Awful Announcing — for spelling my name right! And pointing out the latest error I made," Smith tweeted. "I believe I know (Miles) McBride is on the team and Grimes is not. But OMG, with all the stuff on my mind, I forgot. When I make a mistake, I own it.
"Ya want a cookie for catching it? Knock yourself out. Not my first mistake. Won’t be my last. Infallible is not my middle name. Enjoy your moment!”
Smith’s compliment was a backhanded one. However, he faced the music for his roster error while clapping back at those accusing him of not watching the Knicks.
Stephen A. Smith reacts to Julius Randle injury diagnosis
Last week, Stephen A. Smith suffered on a different front. On his show “First Take,” he had a disheartened reaction to the news that the Knicks will be without Julius Randle for the rest of the season, including the playoffs.
The ever-dramatic TV personality held his head in his hands when discussing the situation. He was saddened that his favorite basketball team will play the playoffs without one of its All-Stars.
“They had a chance to get to the conference finals, and then this happens," Smith said. "You can’t make it up man.”
The somber words were accompanied by sad piano music. Smith was in disbelief at how cursed his beloved franchise seems to be.
However, it is not all doom and gloom. Jalen Brunson and the Villanova crew have kept the Knicks afloat. They are in the top five in the East and still have a shot at the East's No. 2 seed in the final week of the regular season.
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