Site icon Side Action

Kevin Durant Stirs the Pot Following Stephen A. Smith’s Response to Skip Bayless

SGKing
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith was trashed on the web for using Kobe Bryant's death anniversary to make a point about players in today's NBA

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 16: Sports show host Stephen A. Smith during a BIG3 Basketball league game at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA (Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire)

It’s the showdown everyone is tuning in for.

Stephen A.  Smith and  his former co-worker are currently in a little bit  of a spat over the origins of how First Take got started. Stephen A. Smith lit the fuse when he recanted his story of how it all went down.  Skip Bayless was not a fan of Stephen A.  Smith’s retelling of the events that lead to First Take, and he took to his podcast to  call out Stephen A.

“I thought, ‘how could my brother Stephen A. turn on me like that?’ On me? Seriously?” Bayless said.. “Stephen A. was suggesting that he saved and then made First Take. How can you save and make a show that was already as big a billion-to-one success story as ESPN had ever seen? The ratings and the revenues were impossibly great when Stephen A. joined me in 2012. With Stephen A. as my partner, First Take would never touch the NFL Monday ratings that it hit in 2011 pre-Stephen A. And I had taken First Take as far as I could? Seriously? I was just getting started. The rocket had just launched the year before in 2011. Stephen A., how dare you.”

Skip’s comments eventually  led to a response from Stephen A. Smith states that he never lied about anything, however, he regrets hurting Skip. Smith made mention of the fact that the ratings stuff was relayed to him by other individuals at ESPN and that he never meant to make Bayless look bad.   Smith wants to maintain his friendship with Skip, and thanked him for everything.

“Skip Bayless is my brother,” Stephen A. said. “I will always love this man and I will always be grateful. No matter how far I continue to climb, I have him to thank. My comments about the state of First Take at that time is what I was told. It certainly wasn’t meant to slight my brother.”

Kevin Durant has weighed in on the situation, saying “Sources say somebody is lyin. Stay tuned.” Durant has a special hatred for Stephen A. and Skip, so it should come as no surprise that he would stir the pot.

We need KD, SAS and Skip all in one room to hash things out. Now that’s one debate that won’t be fake.

Please make this happen.

Welcome to the game outside the game! Follow us on our Sideaction Twitter handle, Instagram, and Facebook for the latest on sports and pop culture news across the web!

🔥 Hot from Side Action 🔥