Don’t pretend like you did not expect Stephen A. Smith of ESPN to have a reaction in the wake of DeMarcus Cousins dropping a bomb on the NBA by simply agreeing to play with the Golden State Warriors on a one-year deal. Out of all the sports journalism personalities out there, Smith is perhaps the most vocal, the loudest, and the easiest to turn into a viral item on social media.

And he just did become viral, albeit through a relatively calm soliloquy while on board a plane.

Stephen A. Smith probably would have had a more animated reaction, but since he’s in the middle of a flight, he had no option but to uncharacteristically talk in a calm demeanor.

That said, he managed to get his message across. Like most people who heard the news, Smith is left in a state of shock. In his own words, Cousins joining forces with the defending NBA champions is “absolutely, positively, unbelievable.”

Smith also mentioned that Dwight Howard wanted to be part of the Warriors, but Golden State simply do not share the same feeling towards the big man. Instead, it’s DeMarcus Cousins who will be patrolling the paint and punishing opposing biggies down low for Golden State.

Just last season, Cousins put up 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 48 games with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Smith punctuated his mid-air speech perfectly, saying “Why even bother play next season?”