Pacers Fans Roast Stephen A. Smith, Kendrick Perkins at Gainbridge Fieldhouse With Dumb & Dumber Outfits

Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins received some innovative banter from Indiana Pacers fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Pacers Fans Roast Stephen A. Smith, Kendrick Perkins at Gainbridge Fieldhouse With Dumb & Dumber Outfits

Stephen A Smith, Kendrick Perkins (FS Image)

When Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels starred in Dumb and Dumber back in 1994, they couldn’t have foreseen its impact. But the comedy movie has become embedded in pop culture to such a degree that even 31 years after its release, some moments from it are instantly transposable onto real-life meme situations. In this particular case, Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins bore the brunt of being the laughingstocks.

Stephen A. Smith has been on a heater with the way he is successfully evoking reactions from NBA fans. As a hot take artist, Smith has ascended into a territory where he can be viewed as a Jim Rome peer. He’s notorious for using big words, often wrongly, and talking like his point of view carries any weight to a fan. But the reality is, people look at what he does on First Take as a performance, bereft of any substance.

Yet, his style has inspired former NBA player and champion Kendrick Perkins to talk in a similar vein. Even though Big Perk could’ve built more credibility for his words and takes like Tim Legler, he opted for the hot take route. This, combined with his uncharismatic personality, has made him a caricature for NBA fans to pile on. Both of them have caused ESPN’s approval ratings among fans to drop off a cliff in recent years.

The impact of this isn’t seen just on social media. At this point, it has bled into how people view the two of them in real life settings, too. Smith further invited Pacers fans’ ire when he questioned Tyrese Haliburton after his reduced impact in Game 2 of the Finals. Smith has also said Haliburton is not a superstar, adding more fuel to the fire. He

A case in point for this vitriol was found at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday. Two fans with courtside tickets beside the Pacers bench turned up for the game wearing suits in the style of Carrey and Daniels from Dumb and Dumber. The two of them stuck Smith and Perkins’ faces on the front side of their suits.

With the way that NBA fans online and offline have been on ESPN’s necks for the reduced quality of their telecasts, this kind of reception was not unexpected. Both Kendrick Perkins and Stephen A. Smith know the game they’re playing, and the stupid prizes they’re aiming to win.

NBA fans roast Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins after spotting the Pacers fans wearing Dumb and Dumber suits

Predictably, NBA fans from all ends of the spectrum loved the blatant disrespect that Pacers fans showed the ESPN analysts. There was a tidal wave of support for the enterprising spectators, and ridicule for the ESPN duo.

Stephen A. Smith might have been in high spirits after his New York Knicks won 1st round series
Stephen A. Smith (Image via Open Source/X)

However, some also predicted the kind of sinister turn that Smith is likely to give this incident – one of racism. After all, Smith has infamously race-baited on several occasions over his many years of hosting First Take on ESPN.

At this point, basketball fans are resigned to not getting serious NBA coverage as part of ESPN’s programming. It seems they have found that regurgitating and manufacturing hot takes on social media is the safest way of keeping engagement and being in the public consciousness. With Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins themselves showing apathetic leanings, not much can be expected from the network.

The hope, for all NBA fans, would be that ESPN doesn’t meddle with Inside the NBA when the show is licensed to them from 2025-26 onwards.

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