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Stephen A. Smith Has 3-Word Message For His Solitaire Critics

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 6:50 PM ET

Stephen A. Smith defended himself after getting caught playing solitaire during the NBA Finals.

On Friday, a fan recorded the ESPN personality playing on his phone at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during Game 4 action between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Smith tried to claim he was playing during a timeout, but an X community note disputed that inaccuracy.

Smith offered no apologies when discussing the viral moment on a SiriusXM NBA Radio interview on Tuesday.

"I was doing what the hell I always do," Smith said. "And for those that don't like it, kiss my a**."

Smith doubled down on insisting he only plays during breaks, even though the video shows him staring at the phone during a live play.

"When I'm watching the game, I'm watching the game," Smith said. "If there's a break in the action -- it could be a dead ball, it could be a timeout or something like that -- I can play the damn thing for two seconds."

Smith scoffed at someone "standing over me" from a higher section and watching him. Given his busy schedule, the 57-year-old feels he deserves a few moments of downtime.

"I watch over 100 games a year. I'm on TV every morning for two hours, 10 hours live every day. And that's just one job. That don't count (NBA) Countdown. That don't count SportsCenter. That don't count all the obligations I have," Smith said.

"And I'm sitting there getting a little break, and I decide to play a little solitaire. Which, by the way, I always do. And I mean always. If it's halftime, I might go on my phone for two minutes and play solitaire. At the end of the game, before the game, I do the same thing."

Smith laughed at the notion that he wasn't caught viewing inappropriate content on his phone. He dismissed critics who feel someone getting paid millions of dollars to talk about basketball should pay closer attention to an NBA Finals game.

"I work too damn hard, too long, too many hours to be worried about what people think I'm doing for 30 seconds," Smith declared. "They can kiss off. I ain't worried about it."

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

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