“What on earth were you thinking?”: Steph A. Smith slams Nate Robinson for risking health in boxing match against Jake Paul

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is known for his blunt sports takes and other topics he openly discusses on his show. In an episode of "The Stephen A. Smith Show," he called out former New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson.

Smith questioned his decision to participate in a boxing match against Jake Paul in 2020. The three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion recently revealed he has been battling kidney failure since 2018.

However, he commended Robinson for opening up about his condition.

"(1:33) On November 28th, 2020, you step into a boxing ring," Smith said, "with an individual by the name of Jake Paul who is bigger and obviously more skilled as a boxer because he was literally training with professional trainers while you were simply playing basketball. ... What on earth were you thinking? That is what enters my mind right now."

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Smith also acknowledged that Paul worked hard to prepare for boxing conditions, while Robinson spent 14 seasons playing basketball in the NBA.

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Stephen A. Smith reacted to the time Nate Robinson got knocked out by Jake Paul in a boxing match

On ESPN's "First Take," Stephen A. Smith spoke on former Boston Celtics guard Nate Robinson getting knocked out by Jake Paul.

"When I say sleep, I mean sleep," Smith said. "Im talking about out ... out cold. He was on that canvas, I counted at least two to three minutes. ... I thought he was really really hurt. I was scared for him when he didn't move and he got KO'd like that and you know it was just sad to see. Jake Paul clearly had more experience."

During that contest, Paul had a clear advantage over Robinson, given all the training and preparation he did to be in that position. Smith argued that Robinson only showed up "with his face" to the boxing match without a clear idea of who he was going up against.

Whether Robinson prepared properly for the contest or not, his decision to partake backfired.

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