This thing keeps going. Stephen A. Smith is standing firm against FBI Director Kash Patel after being blasted on national television for his comments about the recent NBA betting scandal.
Patel joined Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on “The Ingraham Angle” Thursday night and didn’t mince words, calling Smith’s remarks “the single dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in modern history.” That came after Smith suggested on “First Take” that President Donald Trump was “coming” for those tied to the FBI’s sweeping investigation into illegal gambling operations that led to the arrests of Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former NBA player Damon Jones, among others connected to several Mafia families.
Patel added he alone decides who gets arrested. But Smith wasn’t about to backpedal, per the NYPost.
Stephen A. doubles down
During his SiriusXM show on Friday, Smith made it clear he wasn’t apologizing or changing his stance. “Let’s just say I’m not trying to get on his bad side,” he said of Patel. “But I still stand by what I said. And I’m not changing my mind.”
The veteran commentator explained that his comments weren’t baseless, emphasizing his 30 years in journalism. “It’s customary for people to say I don’t know what I’m talking about, that I’m off my damn rocker, only for them to come back later and say, ‘Yeah, it was true.’”
Smith pointed out that the investigation began during President Biden’s term but traces back to 2019 under Trump’s administration. “I’m not arguing with an FBI director,” he said. “I’m just making the point that when you have a president with deep ties to the sports world, filled with friends and enemies, those enemies can end up inconvenienced. And when it comes to the NBA brand, that doesn’t bother him.”
For now, both Billups and Rozier remain on leave while the league awaits further developments. Federal prosecutors have charged them with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy as part of the widening probe that’s shaking up the sports world.
