Stephen A. Smith was caught playing Solitaire during the NBA Finals over the weekend. While fans and even Kevin Durant criticized Smith for not paying complete attention at work, Smith has remained unbothered.
On Tuesday he appearedd on SiriusXM NBA Radio a very direct message with anyone who has a problem with him playing a game on his phone: "Kiss my a--."
“I was doing what the hell I always do…for those out there that don’t like it – kiss my ass”@stephenasmith addresses the reaction to him playing solitaire during Game 4 with @termineradio & @jumpshot8 #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/zOktJ0f03L
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) June 17, 2025
"I was doing what the hell I always do," said Smith. "And for those who don't like it, kiss my a--. And when I'm watching the game I'm watching the game. If there's a break in the action. It can be a deadball. It can be a timeout or something like that I can play the damn thing for two seconds. Somebody is standing over me upper deck zooming in on my phone saying, 'Oh, he's playing Solitaire.' He's not focusing on the game. I watch over 100 games a year. I'm on TV every morning for two hours live. And that's just one job."
In between his many jobs, Smith finds plenty of time to play Solitaire and go on whatever podcast, radio or television show will have him to talk about whatever news cycle he has created most recently. The only thing he never has to do is say sorry.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Stephen A. Smith Has Defiant Three Word Message for Anyone Critical of Solitaire Habits.
