Stephen A. Smith has found himself in hot waters for his latest comments about Team USA losing to Nigeria in their pre-Olympic exhibition, and sure enough, Nigerian NBA players like Precious Achiuwa and Josh Okogie didn't like what the veteran broadcaster said about them.
The ESPN sports analyst recently went on a huge tirade to criticize Team USA for their 90-7 defeat to the Nigerian national team. While it was typical Smith ripping NBA players, his rant came off as harsh and disrespectful to a team that has worked hard and did everything right to take down the best basketball squad in the world.
This is exactly what needed to said about TEAM USA!!! pic.twitter.com/duH385AlwR
ā Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) July 12, 2021
After hearing the poor comments made by Stephen A. Smith, Miami Heat rookie Precious Achiuwa and Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Josh Okogie couldn't help but call out the commentator, who should have known better.
Achiuwa called the tirade āunprofessional,ā while Okogie emphasized to put āsome respect on the flag and the mother land.ā
Unprofessional š¤¦š¾āāļø https://t.co/e9ypb0ffqU
ā Precious Achiuwa (@PreciousAchiuwa) July 13, 2021
You can critique the other team without disrespecting us. Put some respect on the flag and the mother land! Donāt forget where your ancestors came from !!!! š³š¬š https://t.co/d7B1lK0nLW
ā Josh Okogie (@CallMe_NonStop) July 12, 2021
Stephen A. Smith is known for his hot takes, but it is true that he went below the belt with his criticisms. After all, as Okogie said it, he is free to criticize as long as there is no disrespectāthere is just a huge difference from a constructive criticism to just being plain harsh.
Hopefully with the backlash he has received from NBA players and fans alike, Smith has learned his lesson.
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