"Obama is gonna smoke me, but..." - Stephen A. Smith claims he could outplay former POTUS in 1v1 basketball game under optimal conditions
While NBA fans never got the chance to see Stephen A. Smith play professional basketball, he has still become a prominent, if not divisive figure as a sports analyst, host and journalist. His fame can be attributed to his wild takes, and he's come up with another one, saying he can take Barack Obama in a one-on-one game.
In an episode of the eponymous Stephen A. Smith show, the ESPN analyst read an X post by a fan asking who would win between him and the former President of the United States in a pick-up game to 21 points and what the final score would be.
The vocal host confidently claimed that he could beat Obama in a pick-up game under certain conditions.
"That depends. If it's Stephen A. right now I'mma tell you that Obama's gonna smoke me 'cause I got bad knees and I only play basketball once every two or three years," Stephen A. Smith said. "But if you give me two weeks to warm up.
"Actually, I don't need that long," he said, revising his statement immediately. "Just make sure that my knees are healthy and give me a week. I'll take him out. I'll beat Obama, I would say 21-7. It would be a romp."
Stephen A. Smith then added that he admires Barack Obama and even shared that he voted for the former POTUS twice. He also went on a tangent on how much he loves and is proud of the Obama family.
However, the ESPN analyst reiterated that while Obama looks like he can shoot, he could lock him down and win by 14 points in a pick-up game to 21.
Fans don't get to see Smith play basketball a lot, but Obama is a known hooper. As such, fans might be more likely to choose the former president as the winner in this hypothetical scenario.
Also read: "That's their Kryptonite" - Stephen A. Smith shuts down Lakers' NBA championship hopes
Stephen A. Smith says a knee injury cost him his basketball career
While Stephen A. Smith hosts his own podcast, he also occasionally shows up as a guest on other people's podcasts. Last year, he was a guest on Podcast P with Paul George.
During his appearance, Smith was asked about the scholarship he received to play collegiate basketball at Winston-Salem State University. He then revealed that he cracked his kneecap in half during his first year as a player. Not only did this injury cost him the chance to play basketball, but it also led to him missing a semester of school so he could go home and recover.
Smith also shared that he tried to come back, but his injury prevented him from being able to do so.
Also read: "I don't give a s**t": Stephen A Smith reacts to Pelicans roast following Zion Williamson comments with unhinged 10-minute rant