The Stephen A. Smith ShowFull Show: Stephen A's NFL Playoff and Super Bowl predictions, WNBA Player the Week and Angel Reese Podcast.
Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.
Stephen A. talks Week One NFL matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs. He also discusses his recent interview with Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, and gives his NFL season predictions. He comments on Angel Reese’s comment on Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever fanbase, and crowns his “WNBA Player of the Week”. Basketball influencer Ronnie 2K joins the show to talk about the new NBA2K25 game.
On The Stephen A. Smith Show, Smith gives you his renowned point of view, breaking barriers beyond the world of sports, and tackling pertinent issues across entertainment, pop culture, society, business, and politics. Three times a week, you'll hear his LIVE unfiltered opinions on the day's biggest headlines as well as straight-shooting interviews with top celebrities, game-changers, and thought leaders across the societal arena. The Stephen A. Smith Show is sure to entertain, inform, and motivate anyone who tunes in.
Are you rather for some football?
Yeah, we got that last night open to night NFL season Thursday night football, And that's just one of the things that I've got to talk about.
You know, it ain't the only thing. The Stephen A. Smith Show in the house.
Hollitch boy, what's up everybody.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Steven A. Smith Show, coming at you as I love to.
Do over the digital airways of YouTube and of course iHeartRadio. As always, before I get into anything, I always like to take a moment to thank my subscribers, my followers, et cetera, et cetera. Because our numbers of subscribers have now eclipsed seven hundred and eighty thousand. Okay, we're roaring, We're climbing to the top. Here we come. Thank y'all so much for the love and support. Keep bringing it and I'm gonna keep going bringing it. We also have over two and a half million downloads on iHeart Radio over the last couple of months or so, so the love just keeps on coming from all different directions.
Can't thank y'all enough. Keep it coming, and I'm gonna keep on coming, and I'll just leave it at that. Okay, We've got a lot of stuff to get into.
I'm gonna have Ronnie two K on the show a little bit later on in the show because he's got those new two K ratings two K twenty five ratings.
Out and I got to talk to him about some of his I don't know what the hell he.
Was thinking on some of them, So we gonna have to have that conversation. Make no mistake about it, but that's going to pale or at least take a back seat at this particular moment to what's transfired.
Last night.
We got to get started with the start of the National Football League season and a big time opener last night in Kansas City, home of the reigning defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs took on the Baltimore Ravens at home in a game that featured two time League MVP Lamar Jackson or the Ravens, and of course Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs. The game came down to a late drive with the Ravens in the red zone with several chances to punch it in. Lamar Jackson missed. I'm gonna say it again, missed on two key throws on that drive, but he eventually hit tight end Isaiah Likely in the back of the end for a score that would have put them within one. John Harbaugh was going for two. He was going for two, but guess what the.
Score was, nuther five because Likely's big toe was on the line.
If anybody that knows, okay or you don't know, there was an NBA game that took place years to go to the playoffs, Brooklyn Nets versus the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Anthony Kumpo was going up against Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant was putting on an absolute.
Shell, pulled up, hit what we thought was a three, but his damn big ass toe was on the line. You see that right there.
Okay, he put them up one on nine of one ten, one on nine, but his toe was on the line, and so as a result, because his toe was on the line, it wasn't a three, it was a two. Ultimately, Milwaukee would walk away winning the game and ultimately winning the championship, where they took out the Phoenix Suns in six games. One could easily argue had Kevin Rnt's toe foot rather than smaller and his big toe wasn't on the line. They win the game, and of course they go on to win the championship, but that was not meant to be and it never happened. Nevertheless, we transitioned back to football where the Baltimore Ravens.
Had their chances.
Now, I know, on this particular day, you gotta look at the Kansas City Chiefs and you gotta say to yourself, damn, DEDI rating two time defending Super Bowl champions, and who the hell is gonna beat them?
Now? They got this kid here, Xavi are Worthy. He was on this show on the Steven A.
Smith Show, Live from south By Southwestern Austin, Texas, when they had their convention there months ago. He was a guest on the show with coach Steve Sarkisian from the Texas Longhongs. Okay, so and I saw this guy run a four point two one in the forty Okay.
This brother is something special. Okay, Xavier Worthy is special.
I don't know if he's Tyreek Hill type, because Tyreek Hill is a bit quicker. So I would still pick Tyreek in a forty yard dash, where I'd pick somebody like Xavier Worthy in the one hundred meter similar to if Tyree Tyreek Hill went up against Noah Lyles, Okay, can you get off to that quick of a start? Yeah, you possibly had a chance in the forty because that's how quick and powerful Tyreek Hill is. But over the long haul and the one hundred meter you're gonna go with somebody like a Noahlyles. In this case, I'd go with somebody like Xavier Worthy. Nevertheless, him being on this squad with Patrick Mahons throwing him the football, with having a teammate like Rashid Rice, who caught seven receptions for one hundred and three yards, would have in the future Hall of Fame, and the best tight end in football. My brother from another mother, the one and only Travis Kelcey, not mister Swift, Mister Travis Kelcey. Okay, this is football season, and it'll Taylor Swift other than in the press and the stands, in the box and the swite. Okay, she in't on that damn football field, putting on the shelf. That's that's Travis Kelcey. Okay, get that out the way. We're gonna look at that. But this kid Worthy right here, two touchdowns, two receptions, forty seven yards, pretty much big time performance. Caught a touchdown, pass, had one flick to him running around the site, or you know, running around and ultimately scampering in the end zone, blown by everybody in the process. Lamar Jackson is another story. Twenty six to forty one, two hundred and seventy three yards an interception, sacked just one time, when he's been averaged, been sacked an average of three times. Going up against Kansas City, ran for sixteen times or one hundred and twenty two yards. He seemed to be spectacular if you're just looking at the numbers. The problem with Lamar Jackson is you can't just look at the numbers. You gotta look at the outcome when the game was on the line. When the game was on the line, he had no interceptions. By the way I meant that touchdown, he had a touchdown, no interceptions. But when you look at Lamar Jackson, here's what you ultimately walked away with. When it was time, he couldn't make the necessary throw. Call it from the mentals, call the mechanics, call it whatever you will. Lamar Jackson as big time as he is, as much of a superstar as he is, as much of an improved.
Passer as he is. This levels to this.
And I looked at Patrick Mahomes last night twenty six, I'm sorry, twenty or twenty eight, two hundred and ninety one yards, a touchdown and an interception, sacked twice, had a one on one point nine quarterback rating, while Lamar Jackson at ninety point eight. Here's what you saw from Patrick Mahomes. I saw Shee Rice drop a pass it could have been a touchdown. I saw Travis Kelsey drop a pass. I saw at least three passes dropped Juju Smith Schust as well. I saw that his numbers could have been better if they caught the damn boy. Remember the same team, the Super Bowl champions, had led the league with forty four drops last year. But nevertheless, you look at that record right there, one in five, Lamar Jackson versus Patrick Mahomes, and you had a chance to erase that, and you missed lively in the left corner of the end zone.
You overthrew him.
He's six ' four and you're still overthrow him and almost got him hurt because he came down so hard, have to being shoved in the back, all right. Luckily he was in the game to catch that last pass from you. But the biggest miss was they flowers coming from the left to the right back side of the end zone, wide open, nobody within seven yards of them, and Lamar Jackson missed them by five.
It wasn't even close. It wasn't even close.
It was that awful of a throw. It was that big of a miss. Now, ultimately he tried to make up for it because he connected with likely in the back end of the end zone, but his big toe was on the white marks and as a result, the touchdown was called off.
Game over. It was the last play of the game.
Kansas City Escapes twenty seven twenty What should we walk away with? One motor thinking is Kansas City? Who the hell's gonna beat him? Because that offense is so damn explosive and the defense ain't no joke, and everybody can't run the football and just just the befuddle Steve Pagnola's defense in Kansas City the way Lamar Jackson can. Everybody can't do that. So what the hell do you do? How you gonna beat Kansas City? That's one mode of thinking to walk away from. Here's my thinking. I don't know if they win the game or not, because even after scoring the touchdown, John Harball was calling.
For them to go for two. He was calling for them to go for two, not one.
And so it's entirely possible that they could have gotten stopped on a two point conversion and lost the game twenty seven to twenty six. That is entirely possible. But here's the bottom line. The superstar that is Lamar Jackson, with the game on the line and in his hands, made two bad, errant throws that we all know Patrick Mahomes would have made. And so as a result, this man that you're one and five against, that appears to be your nemesis that you're squaring up and down, is not necessarily that. Dude, he's not the black cat running around your franchise. Okay, he's not your Achilles heel right, he's not that. That's say that you're one to five against is standing in your way. Yet again, I saw the Lamar Jackson running off the running off the field and talking to the Kansas City Chiefs fan and saying, yo, I'll be back or I'll be back, you know, I'll see y'all again. And that's a great attitude to have, but he's going to have to do better, and by the way, the Baltimore Raves is gonna have to do better. Their defense was a bit discombobulated. There were several misde signments, don't get me started on the offensive side of the ball with the illegal formation calls against them, So you had that going on, and then when you look at it back to their defense, I'm just saying to myself, Look, Patrick Mahomes had a damn good game.
You're gonna have to figure out.
A way as a defense to be a bunch of rough riders with your new defensive coordinator. Or he did a good job, but they still got a lot of work to do. And on offense, five rushers for thirteen yards in the second half. Or Derrick Henry, now I know that when he was in Tennessee, he was a custom with them lining up behind center, not being in the shotgun and doing that, and that taking up about twenty one percent of the Titans offense in Baltimore, most of their running attacks are based off of the shotgun. They're not behind center. That's not what Derek Henry is a customer to do. And who knows what kind of effect that's gonna have on him. Not to mention the fact that they got an inexperienced offensive line. So the level of protection that you'd like to see for Lamar Jackson may be compromised to some degree. It's a lot to think about, y'all. It's a lot to think about. And I'm just telling y'all right now, you got to be careful about all of that.
You really really do.
Dereck Henry thirteen rushes forty six yards, the longest run for the day nine yards. He's two hundred and fifty pounds, he runs twenty two miles an hour.
You got to get him the ball, Moore. And if you're not gonna get him the ball more, why did you bother getting him at all?
You should have got another receiver. Should have got another receiver. But either way, you slice it. No matter anything that I've said, the biggest storyline that you walk away from from this game is that Lamar Jackson, the superstar that he is, still comes up a touch short whenever he's going up against Patrick Mahomes. How in the hell is Baltimore ever gonna win a Super Bowl championship in the Lamar Jackson era If he can't find a way to outduel Patrick Mahomes, particularly in the biggest moments.
That's the question, y'all, that's the question.
I'll be back with more NFL talk in a minute, because I did have a one in one with Jerry Jones.
By the way.
We'll get to that, but not before I present this to you courtesy of Prospects.
Okay, everybody, you know what Tom it is. It's Tom for Stephen a Sports Picks. Everybody knows that watching and following sports is my entire life. Crazis my entire life.
Practically, with the NFL season finally here, I need to be right there in the middle of all of action.
But how do I do that? Exactly? It's only one way. I use Prospects. That's how, of course I do it. You see, Prize Pects is the largest fantasy sports platform in all the land with more than three million members. You just choose two or more players and then pick.
More or less on their projected stats for the game and get this sign up with the code essays and Prospects will give you fifty dollars instantly when you play your first five dollars lineup.
Okay, you don't need to win your lineup to receive the fifty dollars bonus. It's guaranteed. All you have to do.
Is play a five dollar lineup on Prizepects and you'll get fifty dollars instantly. All right, But guess what I'm gonna do this in a special way today because I got a guest with me for this one today. Joining me today for this segment is Prize Picks ambassador himself, Trent Atya, also known as book It with Trent.
Trent, how are you?
Man?
I want to make sure did I get that last name pronounced correctly? Did I pronounce that correct your last name correctly?
You did, great, Stephen A. Thank you for having me on.
Man, Please, the pleasure is all mine. Listen, man, I'm told you know you're known as the guy who everybody goes against with your picks.
Now is that true? I want to make sure that true.
That is indeed true, Stephen. And that's how people know me. They know me as the fade God.
But here's the thing, just just a couple of days ago, yes day, if I remember correctly, you got every damn pick right, and you're the guy that.
They go against. I don't know how smart that is? I mean, do you think it's smart for them to go against you?
I mean that what you saw yesterday, I hear a six man on prize Picks. That's once in a blue man, and I just so happened to get, you know, all six. So that was a huge But sometimes you gotta let the kid win. But but I'm pretty pretty bad at this, to be honest with you.
So in other words, what you're trying to tell me is the dead clock is right twice a day. That's what you tell them. All is right now, dead clock is right twice a.
Day, exactly.
I get that in my comments every day.
All right. Man.
My producers also tell me a couple of things before we get to start it.
They tell me, are you do you live in Dallas texts? Are you a native of Dallas, Texas?
Yes, I currently live in Frisco, right next to the Dallas Star where the Cowboys practice.
Well yeah, yeah, I was out there a couple of days ago with Jerry, hanging out at the Star.
I was having a good time. I wish I could have met you in person. But here's the deal. You're a Detroit Lions fan.
I am. I'm really high on the Lions this year.
I've been backing them ever since, you know, they went that oh and sixteen season. I just I have a thing for feel good stories. I love Jared Goff, I love a Monron. I'm high on them this year. I see them, I see them winning the whole damn thing.
Stephen, Ah, I.
Gotta tell you, man, I'm getting emotional right now because I ran across a resident of Dallas who's not a Cowboy fan.
I mean, it's beautiful, this is a beautiful one. How did how did that happen?
How did you be in that area, living in that area and not be a Cowboy fan when.
I've always I've always said if a nuclear bomb dropped, there would be three survivors, rats, roaches, and a Cowboys fan. They're everywhere. How the hell did you pull off not being a Cowboy fan living in Frisco, Texas.
Yeah?
I was born and raised in southern California, where I had no football team growing up. And then you get in twenty eighteen, the Rams came, and you know, I just couldn't fall in love with them, and I didn't want to bandwagon as they won the Super Bowl the next year and so I went to TCU, and all my friends are Cowboys fans, and I despise the Cowboys, and I hate Cowboys fans.
So I'm right there with you, Stephen.
At Okay, see to see, I knew we get along. I knew we get along. You my brother from another mother.
That's what we go.
We're gonna go with that from now. I want, Trent, let's get right to it. Okay, let's get right to it.
First up, Caleb Williams playing the Tennessee Titans more or less than than a half passing yards?
Point five passing yards? Here's my deal. How the hell can you not have more? What's gonna happen? You gona get hurt on the first player of the game, all o, Amon Rodgers get hurt on the fourth play of the game.
And I'm not really doing anything.
As long as the man is playing two minutes, he's gonna have more than a half passing yarchds for crying out loud, I'm going with more on this, Trent.
What about you?
I mean, it would be pretty insane if I were to miss this pick here half a passing yard, Caleb Williams, you gotta put it in your line up this week. It's a free square basically, So just get the boost on that and move on to the next leg because it's definitely gonna smack all right.
I can't imagine anybody going against you. The mo is to just go against whatever. Trent says that most of the time you're gonna win, right, I can't see anybody going against you on that one. We Simpodica on that one. We together. Now it gets a little tricky. Bill's quarterback Josh Allen playing the Arizona Cardinals more or less than two hundred and forty nine and a half past the yards. It's Josh Allen. I gotta go with more. I'm up this mindset, though, I'm liarly on this, Trent, because there's no Stephon Diggs. I think you got this kid Coleman coming out of college. You got easy. He's your rookie. He's got a great personality. He's caught the football world by storm. I get all of that coming out of Florida State. My attitude is, you lose Stepon Diggs, that's a big loss. There's a lot of changes that have taken place in Buffalo. I don't have them winning the AFC East. I may not even have them going to the playoffs. The only reason I'm considering is because Josh Allen is a stud. That doesn't mean he can't throw more than two hundred and forty nine and a half yards, though, I'm gonna go with him doing just that more on this one, especially since it's against Arizona, who I'm not solding at all.
Your thoughts trained, I actually like the square, steven A.
I thought you were gonna take a different angle here with Josh Allen, but I love the passing yards play. I'm so high on Josh this season. I actually want to run this by you. I have a really big bet this year on Prize Fix. I have ten thousand dollars steven A on Josh Allen less than twelve and a half interceptions. I think he protects the ball all year. He doesn't have steff On Diggs anymore, which limits you know, that deep threat, which was like half of his interceptions last year.
But I'm so high on Josh.
I think he protects the ball a lot this season, and I love his passing yards. I was gonna take that for the season long, but I decided that he's gonna go less than twelve and a half interceptions. Would love to hear your take on that, but I love the passing yards in week one.
Well, let me say this to you.
We both agree with more pas in Week one against Arizona Cardinals, but that's where we Paul ways, my brother, I can't roll with you on that. He's a gun slinger. He's a guy that's a risk taker. And here's the biggest.
Thing, Trent. He's he loves hero ball.
He wants to come out there and he wants to be a guy that Okay, all right, I'm gonna do this. And you know something, I don't have enough weapons. I gotta make it happen myself. This guy might not be open, but I'm gonna throw it open. I'm gonna make him open. I'm gonna throw the ball. I'm gonna take these chances. I'm gonna take these risks. He's you don't take that that mentality away from somebody like Josh Allen. I think listen, I'm not saying he's not gonna have damn good year. I'm saying he's gonna make mistakes because he's gonna take chances. Because the personnel that they've they've surrounded him with are gonna force him to take chances in order to have chances to win football games. And I think he's gonna throw more than twelve interceptions. I'm not giving you that. Let's go to the next one right here. See, let's go to the next one right here, right Ceedee Lamb going up against the Cleveland Browns defense more or less than eighty three and a half receiving yards eighty three and a half receiving yards with Ceedee Lamb.
Here's my thing. He's back in action. He's got fresh legs.
He didn't participate in the preseason, didn't participate in training camp, got his money. Okay, no receiver is paid more than him outside of Justin Jefferson. He's gonna go out there. It's not like you're gonna be Dak Prescott and just be able to rely on Brandon Cooks and Ferguson and a bunch of third string wide receivers named Jalen who most people don't even remember their last name.
You're gonna have to throw the ball of this brother that had.
Over seventeen hundred yards and about one hundred and thirty five one hundred and thirty six receptions last year.
I'm gonna go with more.
Even though Cleveland's defense is no joke and I think they can make some noise. Ceedee Lamb is no joke either. I think he's gonna get more than eighty three and a half yards. Trent, I'm back at you with it.
What do you got, Okay? I can I respect it. You're not worried about that Brown's defense. That is the real deal.
Like you said, I'm worried about it, but I think that you still if your DAK, you can still throw a whole bunch of passes. That don't mean your completion percentage is going to be high. It don't mean you ain't gonna be thrown from a deficit. It don't mean it ain't gonna happen during garbage time. I just think that ultimately you gonna see to it that Ceedee Lamb gets enough touches to accumulate more than eighty three and a half yards.
I can't hate it. I mean, Ceedee Lamb, he's the goat. He's definitely one of the best receivers in the game right now. I can't say I'm taking the less then on that, but I would be a little bit weary. He's just considering it's game one, week one on the road against one of the best defenses in the game.
But hey, you're Steven A. It's all you man.
So you agreeing with me? You agree with me?
Yeah?
No, I'm saying it's probably gonna it's probably gonna go out more than for sure.
This is why everybody should book it with Trend because he on a road right now.
He on a roll, rolling with Steven Ay right now.
Last, but not least, I think this is one right here, Tyreek Hill going up against the Jacksonville Jaguars secondary more or less than sixty nine and a half receiving yards. It's Tyreek Hill is the Cheetah, It's it's it's Miami and and and and their offense.
It's too in weather that's projected to be above seventy degrees.
I'm gonna go with more on this, Trent. I think that's an obvious one right there. It might have been the easiest one of it than Kayleb Williams. I'm definitely going with more. Is what about you?
I can get behind it. I love that you took the green Goblin approach here. Don't be afraid to take those.
If you're on.
Prize picks, they help a lot, and I can get behind this one. You know, the regular projection instead of the green Goblin.
I would be a little bit weary.
Because I think the Jags are gonna keep this game close, which should help Tyreek. To be honest, Uh, you need a close game here so they can keep continuing to air the ball out to Tyreek.
You got a short spread week one hitters.
I think it's gonna be a close game, which is gonna force to it to air it out to Tyreek.
So I think this is a great picks.
Dude, So you've agreed with me on every pick I've made today.
You realize that right, which isn't the best, not the great.
That isn't the best sign and you better be right. I better have converted you. It better not be the other way around. That's not good for my name. My brother's not good for my name. Let me get let me ask you this real quick, so you really really think.
First of all, let me just remind audience right here. Stephen A's picks Kayler Williams more, Josh Allen Moore, Ceedee Lamb Moore, Tyreek.
Hill more more more, more more.
And my man Trent book it with Trent agreeing with your boy steven a right here on all four picks. So we appreciate that. Getting back to you and your Detroit Lions super Bowl, Bro, is that is that emotion?
Is that strictly emotional? You you really serious? You think this is the year for them to win it all?
Oh? Yeah, I'm I'm all in on the Lions.
They've got a great defense, they've got the weapons on the offensive side.
And Laporta. Don't sleep on Laporta.
He's gonna waiel this team to a lot of wins, a lot of yards for golf.
Uh.
And I'm all in on the Detroit Lions.
They sell they sold out short last year. I'm buying all in Lions stock this season. I see them in the Super Bowl.
Why did they lose in the NFC Championship Game last year to San Francisco?
In your estimation, I mean, San Francisco was just such a more complete team and they were destined to win that Super Bowl. Kyle Shanahan made so many mistakes in that Super Bowl, but in that game specifically, you know, if I remember correctly, the Lions were up a lot early, and Shanahan just out coached them, you know, in the second half. But I think they've grown, they've matured. Their head coaches fired up like he is every single year. But I'm just excited to watch this team, man, and I know they're excited to get on the field and prove a lot of people wrong and win that division and make a deep run in the playoffs.
They should have ran the damn ballmore.
They got away from what was working for them for the first event for the vast majority of the game. But then ultimately San Francisco got lucky. They came one strong, and you're right, they went in a position to win the Super Bowl against Kansas City as well, but ultimately blew it. When you think, if you're going to talk about them going to the Super Bowl, who do you think they'll meet in the NFC Championship Game?
ANFC championship game.
Everybody talking Philly, some people talk Green Bay, some people talk San Francisco. Obviously, people are telling us don't sleep on the Rams and don't sleep on Seattle.
Even with the new coach that came over.
McDonald came over from Baltimore as it's defensive coordinator, so it's a lot of interesting storylines. But I think me personally, as much as I love the Lions, I got San Francisco and Philadelphia meet for the NFC title, you know, in San Francisco ultimately getting back because I think they've been knocking on the door too long.
Eventually they got to kick it in.
But I can't pooh pooh the Detroit Lions pick because to me, Detroit has arrived and Dan Campbell deserves a lot of.
Credit for changing the culture that team.
But now everybody knows they here, So what are they gonna do now that they to hunted instead of doing the hunting exactly exactly?
I see Philadelphia making it to that NFC Championship game. I think the addition of Sakuon Barkley is going to just do a lot for their offense and their play action and their run game and even their past game two. I just think they're very complete, just like the forty nine ers. I'm so out on the forty nine or steven A. I lost so much money on them in the Super Bowl. I still have a bad taste from it. They sold that game completely and I don't know.
How much hold on man hold on man, I ruh, how much money did you lose?
I got to tell you the story, stephen A, So prize picks gave me the opportunity for a chance to win a million dollars in the Super Bowl. I don't know if you remember that promotion that they did, uh, but I was. I was one of the guys who had a chance to win a million and my entry I needed four picks, and it was Mahomes rush yards, it was Kelsey yards, it was McCaffrey two touchdowns, and I uke less than receiving yards. Everything hit stephen A, except I needed one more touchdown from Christian McCaffrey. Uh, And he scored the first one. So I was sitting pretty for the whole game. I had, you know, three quarters for him to get in the end zone again, and Shanahan, man and the overtime just couldn't feed him the ball.
He was open on that last play and it.
Was sick and and essentially Christian McCaffrey, Shanahan and the Niners cost me a chance at a million dollars. And I'll never let that down. I'll never get over it. It took me all this time to finally get over it. But but I can't stand the forty nine ers McCaffrey. I can't look at him the same way anymore. It was right there, well.
Why whoa, whoa, whoa. But wait a minute.
I can understand you being disgusted and hating on San Francisco, But that's because of Kyle Shanahan. It ain't McCaffrey's fault that they didn't get him the ball.
No, it's definitely not McCaffrey's fault.
It's just hard for me to even look at his name on prize picks and not have you know, memories of.
That, of that moment.
But it's definitely on Shanahan more than McCaffrey.
He did his job.
I could have took his yards, receptions, anything else but that. But yeah, that was that was a really bad break for me. But new season, new opportunities.
I'm ready to go.
Listen, you see the tagline right there, follow book it with Trent right there on social media. I appreciate you a man, Trent. Right here Stephen A. Smith show over the digital It was a YouTube in our heart radio. Thanks again, Trent, really appreciate it.
Man. You take care of yourself. We'll talk soon.
Yes, sir, thank you Steve, and I will be saying.
Welcome back to Steven ex Smith Show right here over the digital airways with YouTube at iHeartRadio. Let's get to my one on one interview with Cowboys owner, extraordinary businessman, extraorda near one of the only Jerry Jones.
At his headquarters at the Star in Dallas Dix.
I want to thank Jerry first of all for giving me an hour of his time.
He didn't have to do.
They actually gave me more than an hour, and actually he would have given me more than that. I just had to rush to catch a flight for crying out loud. But his hospitality obviously knew no limits. And I'm very, very grateful and honored to him him allowing me to sit down and interview him, because that's not something he does very often in terms of one on one interviews.
Let's get that out the way.
You may recall Jones bought the Cowboys in nineteen eighty nine at the time for one hundred and fifty million dollars. It's now thirty six years later the franchise, or i should say his thirty six season, thirty five years later the franchise that is the Dallas Cowboys is now worth well over ten billion dollars, more than double the value of most of the teams in the National Football League. So before we say anything, we got to salute a success as a businessman. The man knows how to make money playing it simple. It's nowhere around it. But check out Jerry's response when we're talking about football, specifically, when I asked him about the twenty eight years that have passed since his Dallas Cowboys made it to an NFC championship game, let alone a Super Bowl.
Take a look.
Well, I would say the one most responsible for it is the guy. They answered to me, And that's what I've said from the very beginning. There's no slipping away from it. The buck stops, it does stop. It stops right here, and that doesn't mean much if it's just for show, or that doesn't mean mudch Affair's not some tears and some sweat and blood that goes with it.
What about those who argue? Is not a consequence because at the end of the day day you're not going to remove yourself, so you don't really have to pay the price for whatever mistakes you make because you're not getting rid of you as most of us wouldn't get rid of ourselves.
Well, of course, but that is absent a little deal call paying that price. You think for one minute that the way our season ended last year, are there is anybody on this earth that bothered any more than me?
No one.
There's been no one that looks back that really can live with how long it's been since we've been with the Super Bowl? Do you think that I literally do go in here and say, well, but how many people have won three Super Bowls? Okay? Do you think I say? Of course, I do not. I do not say that I look at it as that was then, this is now. But I do look at it that way, in that sense that ten years ago we obviously didn't win a Super Bowl, we had a different coach, was then, this is now, Let's go do it now?
Now.
I've done this and things away from football all my life, and I have discarded. I have gone in different directions, and I've gone in different businesses. The guy in the mirror is the man that I change out fair enough.
First things first, and I want to make sure that I educate folks about something.
Maybe I'm stating the obvious, Maybe I'm not billionaires don't have to talk to anybody. You don't hear that often, but they don't have to talk to anybody.
Billionaires are cutting checks, not just cashing them.
That's number one.
They're usually the bosses, and as a result of that, they usually have people under them to point the figure out, to do interviews, to explain stuff to the masses, et cetera, et cetera. So when Jerey Jones not only showed a willingness to sit down with me, had no idea how long we were going to sit down, and literally said I don't care, it's with stephen A, that meant the world to me. It really really did. Then stop me from asking him about Ceedee Lamb. Didn't stop me from looking in his face and telling them I think they were gonna lose. Then stop me from looking in his face and telling them and question them about Dak Prescott and really bringing the light whatever questions legitimately exist about Dak Prescott, because I'm one of those people who sided with Jerry when it comes to Dak Prescott and the apparent procrastination to get him signed. Now, in Jerry's world, his mentality is there's no rush, there's no punishment for taking your time to get the deal done. As long as you get in in time when you need him and they're on the field for you.
Fair enough.
My attitude is simple, Dak Prescott, and they're trying to saw Brandon Cooks the other day going off pontificating about you know, it's blasphemous that people are.
Critical of Dak prest I stop it. Stop. Dak Prescott is a star caliber quarterback. He is big time as a talent who has has led the Dallas Cowboys to multiple winning seasons and multiple playoff berths. And by his work in the regular season from September through December, Dak Prescott is worthy of the fifty five million that Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, and Jordan Love already got this offseason, if not more, which will probably be more, because he's the last dude on the market who's gonna get his money. And you know how that works. Don't act like Dak press got some freaking victim because he's being raked through the coals for having won two playoff games in eight freaking years.
I mean, damn, you.
Gotta win three Super Bowl you gotta win three playoff games.
In one year to win the Super Bowl. This brother don't have him an eight. Come on, y'all. At some point in time, it's not right for us to point out, y'all, you gonna win, you gotta win, you gotta win it. Come January, got the nerves sit up there holding out talking about if they don't sign you, it'll say something.
If you do get signed, it'll say something. But if you don't get signed.
It'll say something to well, if you don't get signed before a Sunday season opening dark presscott, what's.
That gonna mean to you? Is it gonna mean they don't want you?
Or is it gonna mean they want to flash a light in your a light bulb in your head that says, damn, bro, can you show up and produce?
In January? Y'all think of bullshitting. When I pointed out.
I was walking around the Star. My team was there with me. I had some team members in there with me and my lionfellas.
I was there.
I walked down the halls, I walked around the Star. I walked to that practice facility. I went to that cafeteria. I ain't a delicious cheese burger in the cafeteria I didn't grab it and leave.
I sat down and ate, hoping the players will come in there. They got some podcast booths, podcast booths with Ephicon Wallas. I was in there. I random in the Nate knew it couldn't find any of the players playing today. I wonder why. I wonder why ain't nobody running. You gotta produce.
It's not being negative or disrespectful pointing out what you do on a public platform.
When you pick the career that allows you to perform in a public platform, Come on, y'all, come on.
As for Jerry, I'm just looking at some of these things. This is what he's done in the past, signed independent stadium sponsorship deals with American Express, Nike, Doctor Pepper, and PEPSI once irked the NFL's licensing arm in the process on the grounds that these partnerships violated league wide sponsorship agreements. The league sued him for three hundred million in nineteen ninety five. Jerry counted for seven hundred fifty million in an anti trust suit a month later. And one that's Jerry Jones. I'm just looking at some of these things that this man achieved at and T Stadium, featuring eighty thousand steats, capable of expanding one hundred thousand seats, a retractable roof, and the largest high definition center hung video board in the entire league, one hundred and sixty feet by seventy two feet long and fifty three feet by thirty feet wide.
At least six.
Billion dollar NFL venues have opened in thirteen years since the.
Debut of AT and T Stadium by Jerry Jones. I mean, what can you say?
A five hundred and ten foot square foot indoor practice facility. That's called that sport facility. That's where we were, That's where we did the interview. I can't say enough.
It's called the Star.
Open to twenty sixteen now includes the Cowboys headquarters, a seventeen story luxury apartment tower, the Omni Frisco Hotel, a three hundred thousand square foot sports medicine center, doctor Pepper's corporate headquarters, and two dozen shops and restaurants, including a Nike store and.
Several Cowboys theme Eateies also boast the.
Ford Center, which is used for indoor practice, high school football games, and other events like the Country Music Awards next year.
This is from a dude.
That borrowed money to buy the Cowboys and had three billion dollar lawsuits in back to back years from nineteen eighty nine to nineteen ninety to nineteen ninety one.
The man bet on himself. They ain't winning no damn super Bowl in.
The foreseeable future as far as I can see. But it don't mean that I can't respect this man and his business acumen.
I'm gonna give him that. I'm gonna give him that. Okay.
So now that Week one is underway, I want to go ahead and make my predictions for the NFL season because I want to get this.
Out of the way right now.
Remember, every team goes into the year with renewed hope that it may be their turn the hoist to the Lombardi Trophy, but only fourteen teams get to make the playoffs. So here are my division winners and wild card teams for the twenty twenty four NFL season.
Let's keep this straight. The list is fluid. The list is fluid, all.
Right, AFC East, I got the New York Jets, Amy Rodgers did for a reason, damnit. And I ain't going about what I'm gona see Monday night, because that is the San Francisco forty ninety he's going up against for that defense, I'm certainly not gonna act like I'm gonna see big time performance from Aaron Rodgers, who's had his troubles against San Francisco when he was in Green Bay. But i'd see a drop off with the Buffalo Bills. And I don't believe in the Miami Dolphins outside of Miami. When there's ninety degrees like it's supposed to be this Sunday, I believe in them. When it's above seventy degrees, I believe in them.
When it's below seventy degrees, I don't trust them. And when it's below forty, forget it.
I completely give up on them because they're like, oh and eleven over the last couple of years or so.
I don't believe in them.
I'm going with the Jets to win the AFC East to the AFC North. Listen, they might have lost the game last night, but I'd be a fool to pick against the Baltimore ravens. Lamar Jackson is that dude. Derek Henry is a stud. Zay Flowers and Bateman. Bateman had a spectacular catch by the way down to stretch to put them in a position to score that when the touchdown that ultimately failed. But in the end, Bateman, Jay Flowers, Mark Andrews, Derek Likely, they got some weapons at every position. They got to fix that offensive line, but I think the Ravens could do it.
Isaiah Likely, I'm sorry, Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews at the tight ends pot. I'm just telling you right now, I don't see how you can pick against the Baltimore Ravens, especially with Cincinnati messing around and still having not signed Damar I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Jamal Chase.
Also, and look, Cleveland's a team to watch because to me, dude, Sean Watson's career is.
On the line. I mean, he's been awful. You know.
I want to say awful because he was five and one as a starter last year. But I'm talking about in comparison to what he wants was because that same guy he hasn't been around. He hasn't been around. I'm just looking at him right now and I'm punching up some stats. I want y'all to notice. Okay, this is Brown, the Cleveland Browns entering the twenty twenty four season.
Deshaun Watson's NFL ranks among.
Forty five quarterbacks with three hundred plus pass attempts over the last two seasons. His completion percentage ranks forty first, his yards per attempt ranked thirty sixth, his passer rating the ranks thirty seventh. Now he's made ninety one point four million in.
Cash for twelve starts for the Cleveland Browns in that span.
You know how much that equates to, y'all seven point six million dollars per start.
Per game. That's what it equates to. And what have you gotten for it?
Cleveland? Gota looked at Deshaun Watson and say, step the hell up, especially when you see what CJ. Stroud is doing with the Houston Texans's former team. Speaking of that, that's who I got winning the AFC South Houston Texans. You got Dell, you got Nico'collins, you picked up Mixing from Cincinnati, you got another running game, and now you got Stefan Diggs coming from Buffalo, which she's c J. Stroud being that dude behind center with Damiko Ryans coaching his butt off the way that he does and having that defense uplift this game.
Without question.
It's the Texans gotta watch out for Jacksonville to's some degree with Trevor Lawrence who's got a fifty five million dollar back now and all of that stuff. But the Texans, that's the team to watch out for it. And last, but not least, there's nothing to talk about here, ladies and gentlemen, FC West. You could say it's because of Patrick Mahomes and knsas city chiefs easily, and that would be true. But the other side to it is who the hell are the Charges, the Raiders and the Broncos. Broncos are starting a rookie in bow Knicks. We don't know who the hell of the Raiders are gonna have at the quarterback position? Is it Gardner Minshew? Let mean, please O'Connor whatever, Coach Todd and then of course there's Herbert and with the Chargers and Jim Harbar's there's your new coach. But Mike Williams, Keenan Allen, all these brothers are gone. It's clearly it's clearly the chiefs. Let's go to the wildcard teams right here. I got Miami because they do. They got the Cheetah, they got Jaylen Waddow and they could put up points in bunches, as Denver would test too when they dropped had seventy dropped on them by Miami last year. I've got the Bengals resurrected themselves because Joe Burrow's a stud, and I got the Cleveland Browns. I got three teams out of the AFC North and two teams out of the AFC East going to the playoffs, and the division winners for the South and the West.
That's what I got.
Now, let me get to the NFC. Okay, it's really really simple here.
Ladies and gentlemen.
I'm going with the Eagles because the only competition is the division is the Cowboys, and I ain't picking the damn Cowboys.
It also helps that they picked up sain.
Kwon Barkley, still got a J Brown, Davonte Smith, Dallas Goddard, the second best offensive line in football. Some would say, I'm just gonna go with the Philadelphia Eagles, and I think that Jalen Hurts is gonna resurrect himself this year from two years ago because last year he knows dove the bit with twenty you know, he had twenty turnovers, twenty interceptions. Or I'm sorry, twenty turnovers when they only had eight the previous year. So I got to look at it from that standpoint. Easy choice for me here was the Philadelphia Eagles. Let's see who we got in in the NFC North. It has to be the Detroit Lions. They were in the NFC Championship game last year. They were knocking on the door. I know we saw something from Jordan Love in the second half of the season last eight games, eighteen touchdowns, just won interception, completing seventy percent of his passes. I get all of that, but I still believe that the Detroit Lions are here, that Dan Campbell has infused a new culture in that team, and I think they answered the call and they respond to the challenge, and I think they're gonna win the NFC North. Okay, let's go to the to NFC NFC South Atlanta Falcons, whether it's Kirk Cousins or Michael Pennix Junior. When you got b John Robinson, when you've got the cat that they've got at the tight end spot where you see some of the things that they're doing as a franchise, and you get a guy like Kirk Cousins coming off of his injuries.
I get it.
Ultimately, it comes down to who you're going up against, and I think the Atlanta Falcons get this division by default because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the last year with a nine to eight record. The only thing good we can say about Tampa Bay last year was that they were one game better than Tom Brady was his last year there. And number two, they did beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs, but the Tampa Bay Buccaners put forth a good showing against Detroit in.
The playoffs as well.
But the Atlanta Falcons have the talent and they should win this division. The NFC West, to give me, it's the San Francisco forty nine ers, four conference title games and two Super Bowl appearances in the last five years. They still got see Matt Christian McCaffrey. They got Deebo Samuels. They retained Brandon I Youth for thirty million a year. Okay, You've got George Kittle at your tight end spot, arguably the second best title in the football behind Travis Kelce. You got an exceptional coach in Kyle Shanahan, and Brock Purdy has proven to be a damn good quarterback due to get his fifty plus million next year as well. So I look at it from that standpoint and got them win in the West.
To go to the wild card spot.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm not sleeping on the Rams, Matthew Stafford Ball. You got Cooper Cup and Pooka the court. I'm gonna roll with the Rams. I know Aaron Donald is no longer there. I'll be interested to see if he stays away forever, like if this is it he'll retire and state of good because he still is an All world player right now, Let's see what happens with that. So you got that going on, Okay, I think the Rams are a team to be reckoned. With Green Bay already brought up Jeordia, love to you, and what they did in the second half of the season, there's no reason to believe why they're not gonna continue on their trend to some degree and battle Detroit for supremacy in the NFC North. And then of course there is the Dallas Cowboys. You still got Dak Prescott. You signed Seed Lambs, so he's gonna be there. Michael Parks is gonna be on the field defense switching to a four to three led by Mike Zamo, former head coach in Minnesota, who's considered a damn good defensive mind.
Let's see what they do.
They should be stronger and tougher and a bit buffer and I think we'll see what happens with them. But I think they may the playoffs ahead of Seattle. I think they make the playoffs ahead of you know, a Tampa Bay and definitely a Chicago who's got promised. But Kayler Williams is still a rookie. That's just where I'm at with it could be wrong, thow, That's all I'm trying to say. That's all I'm trying to say. Next up, I'll pick my w NBA Player of the Week. But first, a new NBA two K game was just released. Joining me to discuss it is the man known as Runnie two K. I don't know what the hell he was thinking, but I'm about to find out. That's up next, right here on the Stephen A. Smith Show, over the digital areas of YouTube and iHeartRadio. I'll be back with more in a minute. I want to take just a few seconds to make sure everyone knows out there it's the first week of the NFL season, and I could have been more excited.
I couldn't be more excited. I've been waiting for this for months, obviously, as all of you have as well. You know why because the best part is that Prize Picks has got you. That's right.
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So go to prospects dot com right now, pick more, pick less. It really is that easy. Fine, I'm doing myself night. Stumble one, you drive me nothing. You're talking to John must be on drugs.
Number two take notes.
I'm about to educate you what that's impossible exhibit But enough, Number two, stop. I told you why the Brown's going to chose. Disrespectful, disrespectful and no reason to beat, disrespectful.
Disrespectful to league DP so disrespectful, disrespectful to demand yourself being disrespectful, disrespectful, disrespectful.
This man can defend maverge thirty two and ten. You bretty, just stop, don't pay yourself skilled nice, so disrespectful, disrespectful and no reason to beat.
So disrespectful, disrespectful to the league and b B it's so disrespectful.
Disrespectful to use your respect. Don't be disrespectful, disrespectful. You ain't making any sense. You couldn't r Actually like that, Actually like that a lot. I mean, I wish there was a bit more threes up in there, threes up in there. You know what I'm saying.
But I'll take whatever I can get, whatever I can get, y'all, welcome back to the Steven A. Smith Show right here. The new NBA two K twenty five game was released this week, so I had to get into it with the man who is the face of two K. He's got more than a million followers on social media. Of course, we all love him.
We all listen to him, we all hear him, we all see his ratings and his rankings and all of that other stuff. So who better to welcome.
To the show than the one and only Ronnie two K himself. What's going on, big time? How you doing?
How's everything?
What's up? Steven? Am'm still happy to be here. And look, I want to get a highlight reel like that. That was sick.
I think it was.
I think it was.
I just think that it would have been more realistic if you showed me drained in threes, because I think I could do that with a little practice.
I just need to get warmed up.
I don't need to be thrown on the bed. I don't need I don't need to be thrown on the court with no warm up in a suit and tie like James Harden made me do years ago.
Give me a few minutes to warm up and I could do some things. But outside of that, I liked it. What did you think about the video? What what made you.
Come up with that? What's up?
I mean, just dunking on fools? The thirty two and ten, the whole thing. It was what a package. It was amazing. Hey, Steve and A. I don't know if you remember this, but like, uh, you were my first celebrity game coach, and we had, like I remember, we had, we had that chemistry going. It was. It was great.
We talked, we talked about it. You didn't do so bad. You didn't do so bad.
I was pretty pissed off in my team all right for a little bit.
But I digress.
I'm not gonna I'm not gonna summon bad memories and stuff like that because I want to focus on you right now.
Okay.
The new edition of NBA two K twenty five was released this week. I want to know, because the ratings are interesting. How do you come up with these ratings?
In these rankings? How do you do it?
Yeah, so there's uh thirty some odd mini attributes. Some of them are obviously based on on the core performance, you know, like inside shob, free throw percentage, all of that can be pretty easily translated.
Uh.
Then there's some stuff that's obviously off, you know, off the court, like awareness IQ, things that are a little bit less changeable that's thrown into a formula and it sits out the number. And I'll tell you, Steven A, that number has made a lot of people happy unhappy. It's a it's a whole bag of emotions every time that we release the ratings.
Who's approached you, what player has approached you?
And was like, yo, bro, I don't appreciate what the hell you you just did having me right down?
Look who's done that with you?
I mean, it happens all the time, you know what's funny? This year it was, be honest, and I was kind of surprised. I was like, you're in ninety seven, You're getting married this week. What's going on? Like you're the third highest rated player and then a two K twenty five. You should feel pretty good about that. But you know, it's like, you get his mind off of his wedding for a few days. If he needed that distraction. I got married too, so I know how that is. You know, whatever feels you, big, big man, it's it's a. It's a. It's really amazing that, like that caliber player, surefire Hall of famer is diverting his attention from his marriage to his ninety seven NBA by writing it's crazy.
Well, see the reason why because I love Jannison. I know he's a superstar, and I know he's a very impactful player. The flip side to that, however, he does have trouble with his free throw shooting. He has a limited perimeter shot, and I think those two components should prevent you from being a ninety seven, which is your highest ranked school.
So how can he have be tied with.
Luka Dancik and Nikolajokich for the highest score on your ranking when he's got those two liabilities to his game?
Ronnie tuk I will say that he's probably the best defensive player of the three. Would you agree with me on that?
Yes, easily, easily, Yeah, I.
Don't think that that's a conversation. So you have three very different players at that top level, and three international guys, which is amazing, you know, Like how amazing is that for the NBA, but three different games, right, They score in different ways. Joannis is just so deadly near the rim, obviously extending the game not so much or not as much as the other guys. And you know the way that Joki studs everything, especially on the offensive end. He's a magician with the ball. And then Luca, I mean, the way that that guy scores. His playoff run was incredible. I know he was a little bit hurt and he still was the best player in the playoffs. It's really remarkable. Those three guys are definitely deserving and you could you could have a conversation about any of those three as the top guy.
Yeah, yeah, but we.
All have a conversation, Ronnie, because you're talking to me, I'm not you with two K but this is Stephen there, you talking too, right he okay, all right, so let's bring up Luca. Let's bring up Luca. Let's bring up Luca. I'll get to that in a minute. I'll get in that Minute'll get some suspense here, but let.
Me get let me get to Luca.
Love Luca lucas the superstar in his game. I know, you know the game extremely well, pace of play and how that could do something for you, but that can inhibit the success of those around You have to come into play. I know years ago he came in to play with James Harden. So if that's the case, how Kum, that's not coming in to play with Luca And you got.
Him top for the highest score at ninety seven.
With Jokic and okay, so your issues with Luca. So the interesting thing about that is James Harden was ranked very, very high for a long time. He actually had a massive drop off in the rating for the first time in years, and he was pretty upset and reporters asked him about it and he was like, I don't care, but you can see in his eyes he was upset. Yo, kicch I'm sorry, Luca. Obviously the pace of play. Does he hold the ball a little too much?
Maybe?
But that difficult, Yeah, maybe maybe maybe?
Okay, you know he does.
Nual rating, that's all that matters. The guy is absolutely amazing with the basketball in his hands, and yes he holds the ball too much, you're right, Stephen, And but what he did for that team, you know, I think it's warranted. Those three guys are Okay, Well, let me ask the top of the mountain.
Well, let me let me throw this at you, since you bringing up the ball in his hands and how amazing he is with the ball in his hands. Stuff, Well, he's got a teammate that's amazing with the basketball in his hands. And Kyrie Irvin, man, you where you got him at fifteenth or something? What is this right here?
I'm like, come on, man, Kyrie Irvin, ninety two is a nice bread Well damn it. You went to the WNBA. You gave Kitlyn Clark a ninety one for crying out loud. You get Kyrie Irvan can get a ninety two.
I'm not let's understand that, okay, But I'm just saying, Kyrie Irvin is exceptional with the ball in his hands. How come you don't have him higher?
I mean that that guy does everything. I think that Kyrie it was kind of hurt a little bit by sample size. I mean, he this is no surprise youth today, and like he kind of disappeared at.
Boston, and I think that, like moving over, he's kind of had a rejuvenation, but like maybe it's still a little work in progress, you know, Like I feel like that's a candidate to get to the mid nineties by the end of the season, assuming that he can have duplicated success.
Stay happy, I mean a happy Kyrie. Irving is one of the best players in the NBA, undoubtedly, so that's true. I mean, I'm excited. I'm excited to see a real full season of a happy Kyrie try to try to get back to all.
Right, I got specific questions here. When did you come out with this list?
We announced it about a month and a half ago, right after Summer League.
All right, right after Summer League, right, so so so the season completed, finals completed. Then they had Summer League played before the Olympics though, right before the Olympics though.
Right, yep, yep.
So we know we know that you got We know that we know you got Jason Tatum, you know, top eight before the Olympics. What the hell you have him after? Yeah?
I knew you were gonna be fired up about Jason. He's our cover guy. I can't go after our cover guy like that. He is supporting our launch. He's been an incredible partner. Uh, he had a very very talked about I mean, look, what a cover guy to pick to have somebody who talked about as much as Jason has been the summer for good and for bad. I mean, I'm excited. I think that he's gonna have a big ship on his shoulder. I've seen what you've been sayingsy today, but I think he's gonna respond. I think he's gonna have a monster.
Runnie.
Two K, I got news for you, bro, I'm not getting on Jason Tatum.
I think he got screwed over by Steve Kerr. I was very upset as Steve Kerr. And I'll tell you why. I'm gonna tell you why. I don't know. I want to know.
I'm gonna jump off of this for a second here and just talk pure basketball with you, Runnie. I really had a problem is it wasn't even that he played limited minutes.
Two issues I have with him. One was that you couldn't find a second for him in not one but two games, and one of them was against Serbia, who you're beat by twenty six. The other was, how in the hell are you a championship coach and you have a reigning NBA champion.
Who's a All.
NBA All First Team three years in a row, the last three years, and you tell him before the game you don't think you're gonna be able to find top for him. See people missing that running? Am I wrong?
How you gonna say that?
Ain't that crazy?
Unbelievable? The guy just won a championship. You know, he's ready to play for his country. He could have just taken the summer off like and just rode the SI cover the two K cover and had a great summer with Duce. I mean to go all the way to Paris and have two games where he's sitting on the bench and it just it looks bad. I mean, I felt for him. He's a good friend of mine. I like that. That's rough. We kind of put the cherry on top because he's not the same rating as as Lebron of Death. So like that conversation could our game because he's like, oh, I've got the same rating as the over guys, right, it's a humbligious.
And listen, listen. I'm a fan of Steve Kerr. I think Steve Kurr is a phenomenal coach.
I think he was the only one that shouldn't be allowed to celebrate the gold medal. I think what he did to Jason Tatum was egregious. To sit up there and say that I couldn't tell him before the game. I don't know if I can find time for you. If I was Jason Tatum, I never want to see the man again unless I was going to against the Steam and I'll be ready to. Yeah, so we gotta watch, so we gotta let me tell you that. Oh but he will see him when they go up against Golden State next season.
I hope he dropped sixty on Steve Kerr, I really really do. Let me ask you this. You got Lebron James at ninety five. Now the man is approaching forty. Doesn't he deserve a higher score than ninety five?
Yeah, I mean the sample size obviously is un the matchable twenty one seasons as the King. It's tough because at some point we have to kind of project that the game's going to take a little hit.
Look, ninety five is an amazing wady. He's top eight as you as you said earlier, we're still saying he's a top eight player. I don't think we could put him in that top three. And just that, you know, Steve name, the way that the ratings work is it's measured against all time historic So Lebron James since in year twenty one, is in ninety.
Five the only ninety nine in the game. We're probably gonna have Lebron one of Lebron's seasons of the ninety nine at some point it probably steps unanimous MVP season. There is the ninety nine probably as well in the future, but the only one is ninety five ninety six. Michael Jordan, Well, you know where I'm going.
You know where I'm going, you know where I'm going, so so so, so, first of all, has anybody ever gotten one hundred?
Number one? Anybody ever got a hundred? Nobody, right, So.
The ratings used to be different where you could get a hundred. So Shaquille O'Neill is the only person that's ever got one hundred in NBA two K two.
If Mike, if if Michael Jordan was in his prime, we we would he have ever gotten a hundred.
I mean, he is the greatest of all time. I'm saying it right now.
Okay, so you want so wait a minute, so you're on to air, on the air right now, saying that Michael Jordan's is the goat. You're you're, you're, you're, you're on the air, You're on it right.
Now on the Steven Nates Minister confirming, confirming that Michael Jordan is the goat, not Lebron.
James, without question. Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all time. Lebron James might be the best player of all time. Michael Jordan is the greatest player. What's the difference? What's the best You know, what's the difference?
What did it?
Explain?
Explain yourself?
What's the difference? The best player is the most athletically gifted and extending his career the is. You watch the guy play and there's no question in any era he would have been, uh the greatest on the court. Thank thank killer at the end of the game, Michael Jordan.
Right, I know that you're talking about Lebron James and there's a letticism and all this stuff, but I'm just saying, did you see the last dances?
You see when John Sally sat up there and said the golden rule you understand for the Jordan rules was the attack him before he got airborne, because you know he wasn't human, right, That's what John south. So we're just gonna ignore.
That that doesn't happen in this era. They're all buddies, they all hang out, they're all like, you know, they're not gonna they're not gonna hurt each other. They're not gonna attack each other in the air. It's just it's a guy. But definitely the.
Last last couple of questions, last couple of questions wore. I'll let you go. Let's switch to the w n B A. We got Caitlyn Clark.
By the way, Kevin Durant deserves to be right up there with Steph Covey and and Leron James as well.
But I digress when you want to.
Yeah, when you look at the WNBA, you had Caitlyn Clark and aw Rees tied at the beginning. Now you elevated Caitlyn Clark to a ninety one from a ninety above Ade Reese, what took you so long?
What took you so long?
Those ratings, especially in the offseason, don't get bumped up as much, right, so they play in the window that we're launching. Absolutely, Caitlyn Clark, I mean crazy, She's a walking triple double all of a sudden. Ever since that Paris Franks she has been totally unstoppable. So I mean that rating is only going to go up from there. But the only ninety nine of the game is right here. That's the MVP, Asian Wilson. I agree with you, by the way, stephen A, I saw you were saying that Kitlyn should be in the MVP conversation. Forget rookie year. She's in the MVP conversation.
No question, she's in a MVP conversation. She's clearly the rookie of the year. But we all know there's only one Asia Wilson. She's the monster in WNBA and women's basketball period. I think she's the best in the business. My last question to you is something that a lot of folks in the audience was asking. It was like, how did hell of the guy who's supposed to be a lawyer become to face of.
Two K basketball?
Oh, to be honest, I'm not sure, stephen A. It's been seventeen years.
I've loved working and talking about basketball for a career, and getting to work for this video game that I used to be a competitive player at. Our team is tremendous. Like you know, we went from a million sales to being the lifestyle basketball brand of the world, and it's been such a fun ride. And we're only scratch of the surface because basketball gives us so many opportunities, right, and I'm really excited about the future of the franchise.
Ronnie, I lied to you. I got two more quick questions for you, because I just remember.
I was saying that with you all day, whatever you want.
Russell Russell Westbrook is not in your top one hundred. Ouch.
I was surprised to hit me with that one earlier. I mean, it's tough like that top level of players. Now that top hundred is, would you agree better than it's ever been? Like we have so many Maybe I just don't crazy, what's that?
Maybe? But I can't put Russell Westbrook out of a top one hundred. I mean he plays too hard, he's too feisty, he's too powerful, he's too athletic. I can't ignore him from the top one hundred. I can't do that.
There was a compleation. But you look at that top hundred and you're like, man, I don't know who who we'd replace with him. We're gonna have to look at it again and assess.
Last, but not least, Man, I thought we were boys. Man, I thought we were cool. I mean, I just I mean, I see I see Jalen Bronston here at number thirteen, But I mean I don't see Julius rand doing anywhere ogn and no be anywhere. I mean, I don't see anybody else from the New York Knicks.
Where's the New York Knicks love? Where's the New York Knicks love? Man?
I think the Knicks are I mean, obviously had a monster season last year, probably underrepresentative of the top hundred, but it's gonna be a fun season and they're gonna make some noise. They got a lot of chip on their shoulder because of those two k ratings not representing them as much as they should have. So I'm with you Steve today. You're gonna get out, get on that campaign. I'm sorry that we're gonna have to.
I'm gonna have to.
I'm still worried about them because I still think the two best teams in the East is Boston and Philadelphia. Now that Philadelphia's got Paul George of him and b and Maxie are all healthy, lookout because I thought Maxie should have been happening.
I think Philadelphia is gonna win the championship.
To be honest, Oh wow, if they're healthy.
I don't disagree with you if they're healthy, but we all know that's asking for a lot from Paul George and Joelibi. Roddie, appreciate you, my brother, Thank you so much.
Man, appreciate you being on the show.
I really appreciate the time, buddy.
No doubt, buddy, Same here, same here. Coming up, I'll pick my WNBA Player of the week. Plus Adria Reese has a few words for Caitlin Clark fans, and I'll settle the age old debate groin right up here in New York City. Who has the best pizza in the Tri State area. All of that is next right here on the Steven A. Smith Show, over the digital airways of YouTube, and of course iHeart Radio. Back with more in a minute.
Welcome back to Steven A. Smith Show, right here over the digital airways of YouTube, and of course iHeart Radio. I gave you my playoff team selections earlier.
Here are my predictions for the NFC and AFC championship games in which teams will play in the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Remember, listen is fluid. Listen is fluid. Okay, we're gonna get to that right now. Right here in the AFC.
I said this before last night.
I'm looking at the Kansas City Chiefs, especially picking up Xavier Worthy, Si and rahe right knowing you got Travis Kelce Glad that was a lair and Isaiah Pacheco at the you know, in the backfield. I'm looking at Kansas City and I got them going up against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets. Could be wrong, especially after I saw Baltimore last night, but I want to see Aaron Rodgers because this brother right here. People been talking about him, counting them out, acting like they don't know who the hell he is. I'm telling you right now, Aaron Rodgers is something else. Okay, I'm just telling you that right now. And with that being said, looking at it from NAT standpoint, I think the New York Jets with that defense.
Are gonna give themselves a chance.
I think they're gona be an AFC Championship game against Kansas City. But also think Kansas City is gonna win, and Patrick Mahomes is gonna go to his fifth Super Bowl trying to win his four in the NFC. I know we see the forty nine ers. If you're knocking on the door over the last five years, four trips to the Conference Finals, two trips to the Super Bowl, and you still don't have a Super Bowl championship. I gotta give you one last chance. You still got c Mac, you still got d Bowl and Kittles and I Yuk and all of these brothers. I gotta give you another chance. But who are they gonna go against. I wanted to say Detroit so badly, I really really do. But with the Eagles picking up sa Kwon Barkley, with him being that security branker for Jalen Hurts, for Jalen Hurts, having aj Brown and Devonte Smith and Dallas got Her having one of the top offensive lines in football, I gotta think that the Eagles. I know their defense is still a question mark. I just gotta believe that the Eagles will find a way to get to the NFC Championship Game and go to San Francisco where they will lose to the forty nine Ers, and it will be a trilogy the Sanfanco forty nine Ers going up against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Except this time.
Patrick Mahomes and Kelsey and those bras they finally fall I know Brady beat him once when Patrick Mahons didn't have an offensive line and he was running for his life most of the game.
This is different.
I see San Francisco who was knocking on the door, who had a double digit leader and blew it last year. I mean, how many double digit leaders in the Super Bowl begains? Kyle Shanahan blow He blew a twenty five point leaders. The defensive coordinator in Atlanta blew a double digital lead not once, but twice versus Kansas City, and now I believe in this case.
A fourth time is a charm.
Third time against Kansas City, fourth time overall Super Bowl.
I think it's a charm.
I'm picking the San Francisco forty nine ers to beat the Kansas City Chiefs and win it all.
Where I'm at with it, But it is fluid. It is fluid, quick.
Hitting Number two w NBA Player of the Week. There have only been forty triple doubles in the history of the WNBA. Ryl Swoops recorded the first WNBA triple double during the nineteen ninety nine season, while Caitlyn Clark logged the most recent triple double earlier this week. Kaitlyn Clark became the first ever rookie in WNBA history to record a triple double twice in the same season. In that game, Clark scored her one hundred and three point shot this season, becoming just the sixth women to do so and first in her rookie season. She now has one hundred and two on the season, and it's nineteen away from Diana Tarassi in second place, and twenty six away from Unescu of the New York Liberty. My WNBA Player of the Week, Surprise Surprise, Indiana Fever Rookie Sensation, Caitlin Clark. It's nothing really to say other than that she's winning Rookie of the Year. She's a top candy for the league.
MV be honest. She ain't being Asian Wilson Forda, but she beating Angel ree for the Rookie of the Year. That's a rap. That's over and proaps to Angel Reese, who's had a good year. By the way, quick hit.
The number three goes to Chicago Sky rookie foward Angel Reese, who has a new weekly podcast called Unapologetically Angel. It's part of Playmaker's network of podcasts from Shaquille O'Neal. On the debut episode, co host Mayorese, who is Angel's cousin, asked her to address her feelings about rival Indiana Fever's Caitlyn Clark and the Fevers fan base. Take a look at what Anguries had to say about that quote. Caitlin Clark fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans.
I think there's a.
Lot of racism when it comes to it, and I don't believe she stands on any of that. But when it comes to death threats, like I'm talking about people who have come down to my address following me home multiple occasions. People have made ai pictures of me naked. Literally they've sent it to my family members. It sucks to see that, and it's really hard that I have to go through that end quote. If Angel Reese was older, I would have gotten on her about what she just said because I would have been like, how naive can you be? But she is young, it's only twenty two, and the reality is the scrutiny that she's been subjected to is inexcusable. It's egregious, it's disgusting, it's wrong, and there's a bunch of punk no good. You know what's out there on the male and female side who are abusive.
Because they're really really good.
At being that way where they're behind keyboards and away from cameras and out of the spotlight, where people know exactly who the hell they are, the only reason that I brought up the first part about Angel Reese's this.
Caitlin Clark is box office.
She is a star, and Angel Reese is to be completely believed that there's no hate. They both get along, they're cool with each other, they're high end competitors, etc.
Etc.
But you've known they were coming for you when you were waving your hands in your face to mock Caitlin Clark when you were beating up for the national championship. And you also are old enough to know that in this society, whether they want to admit it or not, they don't like seeing somebody black coming at somebody.
White who is a beloved star of theirs.
That's not the case with all, it's not the case with most, But those who screeched the loudest.
Get the most attention sometimes, and that's what the worst of cynics and critics do.
And so you knew they were gonna come for you. You had to know that, not to the degree that they're doing. So I get where you're coming from. I get where you're coming from. But keep your spirits up because you're at a decisive advantage.
Angelies. You're at a decisive.
Advantage because they made the mistake of letting you know who they are, whoever those people are, and now you have perfect justification for keeping people at bay and not letting people too close where they could potentially hurt you. It's something most people usually learn when they get older. You learned it younger, which is a beautiful, beautiful thing. You're at an advantage. As for the Keith and Clark fans she was alluding to, she ain't lying.
It's not all. It's not most.
A lot of them are fun loving, a lot of them are great fans. A lot of them are great, great people. But some of them are racist.
Some of them don't want Andrew Reese to be the one coming at her, and they use ethnicity as the rationale behind it. Again, very few compared to the many who wouldn't do that. But it is that kind of hate. I've seen it for years.
I saw it when Alan Iverson was playing and I was covering them every day. They saw when Michael Jordan was on to come up, Lebron James need I remind.
Y'all had racial epithet spray painted on his home in Brentwood, California, just a few years ago. This ain't new. We want to act like it's new.
We want to act like we this race less society that people ain't thinking about that. Most decent, godfare and loving people ain't thinking like that.
But there's quite enough people who are far from that, who live on that kind of vitriol and hatred. And some of them, not most, not all, Some of them have been Caitlin Clark fans coming at Angel Reese. All she stated was the obvious, plain and simple, plain and simple. Last, but not least quick hitting.
Number four goes to National Cheese Pizza to Day, which was earlier this week.
Why do I bring this up because former New York City Bill.
De Blasio took to X where he can be seen sprinkling a bag of shaved coconut on a slice of cheese pizza and then eating it, okay, then eating it crust first. Social media went crazy with comments, including New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy who responded, take a look at this.
Hey, folks, Governor Phil Murphy from New Jersey. Here, it's National Cheese Pizza Day. Now, you might have noticed that there's some confusion about where the countries in the world's best pizza is. These guys in Connecticut playing something which is I don't get at all.
We all know it's in Jersey.
Now, how do we know?
You know how they eat their pizza in Connecticut.
You can look it up.
This is how they eat it. They cut the damn pizza. Are you kidding me? We're from Jersey, baby, and they're not Happy Cheese Pizza Day.
We can laugh and stuff like that. Here's the problem.
I've never been a fan of Build a Blazzi up. I don't like the way he governed New York. I've never been a fan. I think one of the most appalling things I ever saw was him running for president. You couldn't even run New York. The hell you trying to run the country for? And then to embarrass us even further, ladies and gentlemen, New.
Yorkers don't eat pizza like that. We usually eat the tent first, not the damn crust. And we don't pu all of that stuff on the pizza either. You know why, because the pizza itself fresh out of the old coconut coconut. Listen, the pizza coming.
Out of the oven is good enough.
We don't need no damn coconut. He just revealed he ain't really no damn New Yorker. The rest of us, we don't eat pizza like that.
As for you, Phil Murphy, I respect you, sir. You're the governor of New Jersey, and I want to respect our public servants.
But I ain't that damn fond of you either. With them damn taxes you charge in New Jersey, it's hide in New York. It's hide in New York. And by the way, we gonna sit here and tell the truth.
New York and New Jersey it ain't really no different because everybody's vacillating back and forth between the two spots anyway, even though you gotta go through the Lincoln, the George Washington Bridge, or the Holland Tunne or to do it.
Here's the reality.
When it comes to New York and New Jersey specifically, it ain't about the state. It's about the individual. The individual and how they make their pizza at their respective pizza shop. Is what determines how delicious it is or it's not. Not the state, and by the way, with the taxes y'all both charge, you probably compromise the taste because people can't do what they normally want to do, to put their best foot forward because they're too busy trying to save a buck, because you're taking too much damn money out of their pockets. I would know, because I just moved out of the damn city and the state, both of them, because of what the hell were dealing with. I'm getting on out of here for the weekend. I can't wait for NFL Sunday to begin. I can't wait to be back with here or here with y'all on Monday. By the way, just the heads up coming this Monday, my guest will be Hall of Fame wide receiver Chris Carter. You'll see him Monday. I'll let you decide whether you want to see him every Monday. I don't know what I'm gonna do yet.
I don't know, but.
He's my boy, and that brother's brilliant when it comes to football, and he's got the credentials to speak on it. He'll be joining me on Monday to discuss NFL Week one. Don't miss it until then, mister stephen A signing off, peace of love everybody, Talk to you later.
