"I know he's alive": Stephen A. Smith apologizes for addressing Arkansas icon Nolan Richardson as the "late great"

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has found himself issuing corrections twice in two days. On Friday, Smith had to clarify another misstatement, this time regarding legendary Arkansas men’s basketball coach Nolan Richardson.

During an early morning segment on ESPN’s First Take, Smith wrongly implied that Richardson had passed away while discussing Arkansas’ Sweet 16 loss to Texas Tech in overtime on Thursday. Following the loss, while analyzing Coach John Calipari’s impact, Smith made a slip-up concerning Richardson’s status.

After realizing the mistake, he quickly addressed it, making it clear that he was aware Richardson is alive.

“Oh, by the way, before we even begin the show, I just want to make sure I say I am fully aware that Nolan Richardson is alive. Trust me, I apologize for that,” Smith said. “I don’t know why I said ‘God rest his soul.’ I know he’s alive. I’ve always known that. I just wanted to make sure I made that clear, Molly, before we moved on with the show. I don’t want anybody thinking I thought the man was gone. I did not. I know he’s alive.”

This comes after he mistakenly claimed on Thursday that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James did not attend the 2020 funeral of Kobe Bryant when, in fact, he did.

Smith mistakenly addresses Arkansas icon Richardson as the ‘late great’

During a morning segment of First Take, Stephen A. Smith mistakenly referred to the 83-year-old Nolan Richardson as “the late, great” and followed it with “God rest his soul.”

“Listen, it’s the NCAA Tournament, anything could happen in a one-game scenario. So of course, he’ll have a chance and of course, he’ll have his teams in the tournament. Of course, he’s going to be able to recruit better than anybody ever has there outside of Mr. 40 Minutes of Hell himself. The late great Nolan Richardson, God rest his soul. But in the same breath, if anybody can compete with that and bring a national program back to Arkansas, it is John Calipari. I think he’s already done it,” said Smith on First Take.

A Hall of Fame Coach, Richardson, led the Razorbacks from 1985 to 2002. He guided Arkansas to its only NCAA national championship in 1994, defeating Duke in the title game.

Under his leadership, the Razorbacks also made three Final Four appearances in 1990, 1994 and 1995, with the last run ending in a championship loss to UCLA.