Stephen A. Smith Warns Gilbert Arenas about The Seriousness of his Illegal Poker Case

These are tough times for ESPN executive producer and effectively the face of the network, Stephen A. Smith. He has seen three of his First Take analysts face difficult situations, both legally and personally.

Shannon Sharpe was the first to face the heat after a young woman filed a lawsuit against him for assault. Even though he continued to appear on the network, social media narratives forced the NFL Hall of Famer to take a backseat until the suit was settled.

He finally settled and is rumored to have paid out an enormous amount of money. However, the network did not want to continue with that reputation hanging over their heads and fired Sharpe this past week.

Next was Marcus Morris Sr., who had just started to get his feet wet on First Take. He was arrested and presented in court for handing out two bad checks after owing Las Vegas Casinos $265K.

Then it came to light that 3-time All-Star Gilbert Arenas was arrested and charged with 3 counts of allegedly running an illegal poker ring. He posted bond and has been celebrating his release. Those celebrations came to Smith’s attention.

He’s obviously playing around. Bro, I need you not to play around. My brother, I don’t want to see you in jail at all. It’s not a good look, it’s nothing to laugh about, it’s nothing to joke around and think it’s funny when the Feds come raiding your home.

Stephen A. Smith said on his podcast

Stephen A. Smith addressed Gilbert Arenas remark that everyone Smith hired at ESPN—himself, Marcus Morris, and Shannon Sharpe—got into trouble. Smith responded, warning Arenas that he needs to be serious about his case , the Feds ain’t a joke and the executives are taking notes pic.twitter.com/wJHmXGeS84

— joebuddenclips/fanpage (@Chatnigga101) August 3, 2025

The 57-year-old analyst believes it is not a game, especially when it comes to matters with Federal prosecutors and officers. They must have enough proof to believe they have a foolproof case on their hands, and such jokes will only go on to help their case.

Gilbert Arenas is not cleared yet, believes Stephen A. Smith

Gilbert Arenas will face trial starting on September 23rd. There are 3 charges levied against him, each of which carries a 5-year maximum prison term. When combined, they account for 15 years behind bars.

Since being released on bond, the host of Gil’s Arena has been joking about the arrest. He trolled that whoever Stephen A. Smith hires is getting entangled with the law or legally in some capacity.

Since his situation is with the Feds, Smith wants Arenas to stop joking around. He is the one with the most to lose here, and considering how the situation is with other federal cases, Smith believes they will be careful with this one too.

Moreover, no matter how the case winds up, his future with ESPN depends on how he handles his affairs. That is where Stephen A. Smith believes, the former 3 Washington Wizards star needs to be careful.

It doesn’t take the seriousness of this situation, and how folks above you end up making calls that are above your pay grade. They have to think about the overall brand.

Stephen A. Smith said

This means he could also face the axe, similar to how ESPN let go of Shannon Sharpe. Smith wants Gilbert Arenas to tone his jokes down, lest he end up making his situation worse than it could be.

Marcus Morris free after settling debts with casinos

With Shannon Sharpe out and Gilbert Arenas’ fate in the hands of the feds, Stephen A. Smith would have a tough task replacing these analysts. Thankfully, Marcus Morris, who was arrested on fraud charges, has finally been let go.

According to the Sun Sentinel, the 13-year NBA veteran sent a wire transfer of $291,750 to the Clark County District Attorney’s office. Once they received the amount, they dismissed the case from their jurisdiction.

With the case now resolved, Marcus Morris should be in the clear with ESPN. Therefore, he should be back analyzing basketball games on First Take and Get Up when the 2025-26 season resumes.

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