Stephen A. Smith admits mistakes, agrees NBA champions should not be called ‘world champions’
Stephen A. Smith apologizes to Noah Lyles over "World Champions" remarks.
Noah Lyles and Stephen A. Smith (image via Twitter / X)
ESPN’s prominent sports analyst, Stephen A. Smith, has publicly apologized for his earlier comments, calling track star Noah Lyles‘ critique of the NBA “ignorant.” This change of heart came after Smith had a conversation with one of his close associates, actor Boris Kodjoe.
The debate ignited when Lyles, who recently clinched victories in both the 100m and 200m events at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, criticized the NBA’s practice of labeling their title winners as “world champions.”
During a post-event interview, the sprinter commented, “You know what hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals, and they have ‘world champion’ on their head. World champion of what? The United States?” Lyles further added, “We are the world. We have almost every country out here fighting, thriving, putting on their flag to show that they are represented. There ain’t no flags in the NBA.”
Lyles’ remarks sparked controversy, leading to many reactions from NBA stars like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Aaron Gordon, who took to Twitter to defend their league’s honor. Simultaneously, Stephen A. Smith echoed their sentiment on his ESPN show “First Take,” initially calling Lyles’ stance “ignorant.”
Smith’s change of heart and public apology to Noah Lyles
Boris Kodjoe’s intervention provided a fresh perspective for Smith. In a clarifying text sent to the sports analyst, Kodjoe explained Lyles’ intent, emphasizing that the runner wasn’t diminishing any player’s merit or caliber. Kodjoe illustrated the inherent American practice of deeming a national contest as a world championship. He highlighted the example of the Premier League in England, asserting that while many consider it the world’s best football league, no one would label a victor, like Manchester United, a “world champion.”
Understanding Kodjoe’s viewpoint, Smith understood that Lyles had a point. On his podcast, the analyst stated, “He [Lyles] got literal with it. From a literal perspective, Boris Kodjoe was right. That makes Noah Lyles right. It made me, at the very least wrong to call his point and perspective ignorant, and that is why I apologized on First Take and it is why I’m apologizing now.”
Stephen A. Smith’s shift underscores the importance of absorbing diverse viewpoints and accepting when one might be mistaken. As Smith concluded, traditions might be deeply established, but that doesn’t always imply they’re accurate. In this instance, labeling the NBA title winners as world champions is perhaps a mistake.
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Vivek Yadav
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