Stephen A. Smith. Jim Cowsert/Getty Images

Radio Host Puts 'Empowered' Stephen A. Smith On Blast

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Jun 14, 2025 5:43 PM ET

Stephen A. Smith just keeps on making enemies at this stage in his career.

On Friday night, Smith got ripped for playing solitaire during Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Fans thought that was incredibly disrespectful considering he's supposed to share his analysis on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers with a national audience.

A few days prior to Smith's antics in Indiana, he called out Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton on "First Take." He basically made himself seem like the main character in the NBA community.

"If he was talking about me…players far more accomplished and more superior have made their efforts trying to call me out," Smith said. "How has that worked out? I’ll be here no matter what, remember that wins a chip."

Smith's remarks didn't sit well with former SiriusXM radio host Cody Decker. He shared the ESPN personality's rant from "First Take" along with this message: "Those that have empowered this little [expletive]."

It's no secret Decker isn't fond of Smith. Earlier this month, he learned that his SiriusXM show with Michelle Beadle has been replaced. Their timeslot will now belong to Smith.

"Yeah so the cat's out of the bag, I guess we're talking about it. We weren't supposed to, just as a heads up. We were only given a few hours notice but we weren't told any details, we were promised that no details would be released," Beadle said. "We didn't even know who was taking our place in the lineup, just that it was going to be announced that a new show was being added. Unbeknownst to us, 'The Hollywood Reporter,' of course, had all the details. So it was a little embarrassing, I'm not going to lie. I've been in this business for 20-plus years, I've been treated poorly a couple times, this didn't feel good, I'm not gonna lie."

Beadle also let people know that she doesn't respect Smith.

"I don’t respect him," Beadle said. "I don’t respect his work. He doesn’t like me. This goes back to the Ray Rice stuff. He made some really piggish comments on the air. I responded; he got suspended for like two weeks. I think that was sort of the beginning of the end for anything,” she says. “I just don’t respect him. I think he gets things wrong all the time. I’m not talking about opinions; those can never be wrong. But factually, when you spread yourself so thin, it’s hard to be right. Not a fan."

There's no way Smith didn't see these remarks from Beadle and Decker. Whether or not he chooses to respond to them is a different story.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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