Update 04/26/2022 3:07pm:

Stephen A Smith has now responded to Jamie Foxx, who called him out for allegedly only going after basketball players with criticism as opposed to football players and players in other sports. 

Smith went on to say his response was given with the permission of Foxx but went on to say, “he’s wrong.” From there, Smith said Jamie Foxx has no credibility in sports, solely because he is a Dallas Cowboys fan. 

The show host said, “Jamie Foxx knows better. He’s just highly protective of the Black athlete as he should be because they deserve our protection, to be quite honest.” He continued saying, “I’m calling out a Kyrie and Ben Simmons because of their impact and effect on the Black athlete. When you go to the collective bargaining table and they use them as an example to try to minimize their contribution to players, that’s about those players. That’s not just about them, that’s about the Black athlete.” Smith went on to say he’s going to call out athletes and their performances regardless of their race. Take a look at his full statement above. 

source: ESPN

Original 04/25/2022 9:46pm:

Comedian and avid sports fan Jamie Foxx took issue with Stephen A. Smith's comments aimed at the Brooklyn Nets embattled star Ben Simmons. Foxx called Smith's remarks "unfair" and explained how Smith remains mute when it comes to athletes not in the NBA and specifically white superstar athletes such as Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.

Original 04/25/2022 5:28pm:

When the Brooklyn Nets announced that the highly anticipated post-season debut of Ben Simmons had been postponed, there may have been a collective sigh of disappointment shared amongst sports fans all over the country. But perhaps no one was more perturbed by the news than Stephen A. Smith.

Three days after the Brooklyn Nets revealed that they expected their three-time All-Star to register some playing time in Game 4 of their NBA playoff matchup against the Boston Celtics, the team conspicuously retracted their intention moments after their opponents took a 3-0 lead in the series. This prompted Reggie Miller to call into question Ben Simmons' heart by posting a message about the timing of his sudden change of heart.

"Cmon MAN!!! Out for Game 4 when it was rumored you were going to make your debut," wrote the legendary playoff performer. "This dude has ZERO competitive (fire)...As small a chance as the Nets have to come back in this series, you still have (Kevin Durant) and Kyrie (Irving), all you need is to win ONE game and take it from there.. #ManUp."

Not be to outdone by one of his contemporaries in sports media, the very next day on First Take Stephen A. Smith turned the temperature up even more so with a profanity-laced description of Ben Simmon's latest decision to sit out of a meaningful basketball game. The opinionated on-air personality even put a cherry on top by refusing to show sensitivity towards Simmons' reported mental health struggles.

"I ain't being sensitive to no damn Ben Simmons," said Smith. "It's a punk a** move that he's been doing. It's embarrassing."

To that, Smith's co-host, Molly Qerim, attempted to defuse the situation by moving the conversation along. But Smith would have none of it, adding one last verbal jab at Ben Simmons, before Qerim managed to change the subject.

"Be careful Molly, [Simmons] might see your outfit and get ideas. He might wear something like that," added Smith, who was referring to the green button-up top and skirt that Qerim was sporting at the time.

It's important to note that when Ben Simmons was first introduced to the press as a member of the Brooklyn Nets in February, he stated that he hoped to be ready to play by the time they faced his old team, the Philadelphia 76ers, on March 10th. Nearly two months have passed since then and Simmons has yet to play a single minute for the team that acquired his services at the trading deadline this season. This has led to frustration amongst sports fans and some of the most influential members of the sports media.

To hear Stephen A. Smith's latest rant about Ben Simmons's lack of availability since becoming a member of the Brooklyn Nets, scroll up and view the clip above.

Source: ESPN