Stephen A. Smith is once again entering “you don’t want to make an enemy out of me” mode.
The star ESPN personality Smith brought his relationship with former “First Take” co-host Max Kellerman back into the spotlight this week. During an appearance on “The Joe Budden Podcast,” Smith got brutally honest on why Kellerman was dropped from the program.
In response, retired ex-Pro Bowl receiver Terrell Owens shared a clip of an appearance that he made on “First Take” with Smith and Kellerman in 2019. During that appearance, Owens told Smith at one point, “Max almost seems blacker than you, Stephen A.”
When a social media user suggested that Owens’s comment was why Smith did not like Kellerman, Owens reposted the tweet and wrote “FACTS!!!!!!!”
Smith got wind of Owens’ tweet and was clearly upset by it. In firing back at Owens, Smith threatened to expose the ex-NFL star for “all the things you tried to do behind the scenes — to BROTHERS — over the years while claiming someone is more of a Brother than others.”
Smith also called Owens a “sorry a–” in another tweet and once again hinted at “trifling s–t [Owens] tried to pull” (profanity edited by LBS).
Owens then returned serve and said that he had “NOTHING” to hide. He also said that Smith was supposedly upset at him because of a past lawsuit that Owens’s attorney filed against ESPN after Smith shared a text message conversation with Owens on the air, allegedly without the consent of Owens. Owens added that he was on “#TeamMax” and called Smith out directly for supposedly getting Kellerman fired.
The two went back and forth for a few more posts before NBA star Kyrie Irving (of all people) stepped in and essentially told everybody to grow up. That led Smith to stand down (though Owens was unmoved and once again dared the “loud mouth” Smith to expose him).
The “Max almost seems blacker than you” comment from Owens was nearly four years ago, and it obviously ticked off Smith at the time. It remains to be seen if and how Smith will “expose” Owens for Owens’s alleged misdeeds. But since Smith is becoming known for beefing with athletes almost as much as he covers them, he doesn’t seem very credible here right now.
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