Stephen A. Smith is never shy about speaking his mind, and his latest clash with the New Orleans Pelicans shows exactly why his voice dominates sports television.

The ESPN personality unloaded on the franchise after the Pelicans poked fun at him on social media. The team posted a clip on X telling Smith to “stick to solitaire,” highlighting several moments where he struggled while attempting different sports activities.

Smith responded in the comment section, which triggered another jab from the Pelicans that included an image of Max Kellerman, Smith’s former First Take co-host. That follow-up appeared to strike a nerve.

Soon after, Smith delivered a blistering message aimed directly at the organization.

“My popularity is bigger than anybody on your team outside of Zion… 65 games have been played and you’re still searching for your 20th victory. Yall are horrible! Yall have been trash! That is the reality…. You’re worth about 3.55B right now. That ranks 29th out of 30 teams in the NBA. This is your 24th year in the NBA. You used to be the Hornets, now you’re the Pelicans, that’s 2 nicknames. That’s how many playoff victories you have… You got the time to clap back at me, at least tell America why. It’s the only thing that can make you relevant.”

Ouch. Smith clearly had plenty to get off his chest.

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Zion Williamson comments started the feud

The online exchange stems from Smith’s earlier criticism of Pelicans star Zion Williamson.

During a segment on First Take, Smith pointed to Williamson’s availability as a major concern while still acknowledging his talent.

“He's played in 259 games in his career, he's missed 275,” Smith said. “You're looking at him right now and you're saying to yourself, ‘Of course he's not a bust,' because the brother can ball. He's averaging 21 a game which is down from last year, down from the year before. …When he's healthy and on the basketball court we know what he can do, it was just about his dedication to being available to do it.”

Those remarks sparked backlash among Pelicans supporters and eventually prompted the team’s social media response.

Now the situation has evolved into a public feud between one of sports media’s loudest voices and an NBA franchise that decided to fire back.