STEPHEN A. Smith sent a short and sweet message to critics after being spotted playing a game on his phone.
Smith, 57, went viral for the moment during Game 4 of the NBA Finals with Kevin Durant even sharing it.
Smith is working on ESPN’s coverage of the NBA Finals[/caption]
He was spotted in the stands playing solitaire on his phone during the Oklahoma City Thunder’s game against the Indiana Pacers.
The clip was widely circulated and Smith seemed to lean into the joke by posting a screenshot of a solitaire game.
The ESPN star also said he was multitasking by playing the game during a timeout on the floor.
But another angle showed the game on Smith’s phone while play was going on in the NBA Finals.
Smith was asked about the incident during an appearance on Sirius XM Radio with Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson this week.
He told his critics, “I was doing what the hell I always do.
“And for those out there who don’t like it, kiss my a**.”
The ESPN star did go on to provide an elaborate and passionate defence of his actions.
“When I’m watching the game, I’m watching the game,” Smith said.
“If there’s a break in the action, it could be a dead ball, it could be a timeout or something like that.
“I can play the damn thing for two seconds.
“Somebody is standing over me, upper deck, zooming in on my phone, watching me, and saying, ‘Oh, he’s playing Solitaire. He’s not focusing on the game.’
“I watch over 100 games a year.
“I’m on TV every morning for two hours every day. And that’s just one job.
“That don’t count Countdown. That don’t count SportsCenter.
“That don’t count all the obligations that I have.”
Smith continued, “And I’m sitting there and getting a little break, and I decide to play a little Solitaire, which, by the way, I always do.
“And I mean always. If it’s halftime, I might go on my phone for two minutes and play Solitaire.
“At the end of the game, before the game, I do the same thing.
“Damnit, if you have had a little break in between, I might’ve been playing it again because I like the game.”
