Stephen A. Smith is a politician as much as a sports media personality nowadays. There has been talk about him running for president, he’s cozied up to politicians and has made frequent appearances on political news channels. That’s why I believe his recent comments about Dr. Anthony Fauci and Kyrie Irving seem to be more about scoring political points, than an example of actual courage and conviction.
On Thursday’s episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show titled “Did Fauci Lie to Us All?”, Smith called out Fauci following him pleading the 5th Amendment over 100 times in front of Congress, as well as offered a public apology to Kyrie Irving, who he called “selfish” for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccination shot.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 06: ESPN reporter and analyst Stephen A. Smith is seen on the set of “First Take” on February 06, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
While speaking about Irving, who lost millions because he had to sit out home games in New York during the pandemic, Smith said, “In my opinion, particularly hindsight-wise, it didn’t make him stubborn or selfish. It made him brave.”
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“I watched Dr. Fauci on Capitol Hill yesterday, and the person I thought about most was Kyrie Irving,” Smith added.
Then Smith offered his apology.
“There’s several people that we all owe apologies to… but none more so than the apology that I owe to Kyrie Irving,” Smith stated. “It turns out that, no matter what the truth is behind all of this, Kyrie Irving did nobody wrong. We did him wrong. I did him wrong. And for that, I’m sincerely sorry, Smith stated.
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FILE – Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving, far right, not permitted to play because he’s unvaccinated for COVID-19, watches the game between the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks at the Barclays Center, Sunday, March 13, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Due to his inaction, and what I believe to be cowardice when faced with opportunities to take a real stand for the truth, and push against the mainstream prescribed narrative over the years, I’m not going to waste my time praising Smith for saying this in 2026.
Yes, I’m thankful he’s apologizing, whether it’s truly sincere or not. But, Stephen A. only goes where the political tide turns. It’s what he’s been doing for years now, especially since his rebrand to cover more specifically political topics and issues.
Only recently has Smith condemned men in women’s sports and now, he’s condemning Fauci.
How convenient.
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Stephen A. Smith appears on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Oct. 23, 2024. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
After Smith spoke with Riley Gaines in 2025, I shot Riley a text after seeing the episode promoted. I asked about whether she asked him about why he was silent when ESPN celebrated Lia Thomas during Women’s History Month. Unfortunately, that conversation didn’t take place in that podcast.
Smith also praised Sophie Cunningham for “saying what others are afraid to say.” You were one of those people, Stephen A.
Remember Sam Ponder, Stephen A.? She was vilified and reprimanded for ACTUALLY taking a courageous stance against men in women’s sports and spaces. She’s no longer with the network. Where were you to defend her?
ESPN sideline reporter Sam Ponder during the first quarter between the Florida State Seminoles and Mississippi Rebels at Camping World Stadium. (Kim Klement/USA Today Sports)
Again, while I see the positive in his apology and promotion of common sense, which he was terrified to admit years ago, don’t fault me for rolling my eyes at the idea that these statements are somewhat courageous in their own right.
Kyrie Irving, Novak Djokovic, Aaron Rodgers, Cole Beasley, Tyler Bertuzzi, and every day Americans were relentlessly vilified for not taking an experimental drug during the pandemic. They were gaslit by people like Stephen A. and others in mainstream sports media. Some were even fired during that awful time, such as Allison Williams, who refused to get the jab because she was pregnant.
We all make mistakes. We all need accountability for being wrong and committing wrongs, at times. If Smith had a backbone, though, he would’ve spoken up when it was uncomfortable to do so.
He sounds like a politician, in my opinion. He’s the king of playing both sides.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open defending champion, waits at an Australian Border Force desk on his arrival at Melbourne Airport, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. Locked in a dispute over his COVID-19 vaccination status, Djokovic was confined to the immigration detention hotel in Australia on Thursday, Jan 6, as he awaited a court ruling on whether he can compete in the Australian Open later this month. (AP Photo)
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Sure, I could be wrong about Smith’s motivations with his recent stances after years of silence and compliance with his liberal overlords at ESPN, but don’t fault me for not wanting to applaud him for saying the obvious and truthful things this late in the game. Far too many people have sacrificed jobs, paychecks, connections, and societal status to take bold stands when it wasn’t politically convenient and acceptable to the majority.
While at the same time, I recognize the importance and impact of Smith speaking up and apologizing. That is something we should be hoping for from many sports media members, family, friends, politicians, co-workers, and more, as it pertains to these pressing, and still vitally important issues of our time.