FBI chief insults Stephen A. Smith for saying NBA arrests are Trump’s revenge

“It’s not coincidental. It’s not an accident. It’s a statement, and it’s a warning that more is coming,” Smith said after several current and former NBA players were charged for illegal gambling.

FBI Director Kash Patel slammed Stephen A. Smith in response to the TV personality and sportscaster’s suggestion that the recent NBA gambling bust was “revenge” at the hands of President Donald Trump.

On Monday, NBA Coach and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, former NBA player Damon Jones, members of the Mafia, and others were arrested by federal agents, accused of rigging poker games to defraud victims of at least $7 million.

A frequent political commentator, Smith warned viewers on Thursday that the arrests signaled that Trump is potentially “coming” for more in the NBA, and perhaps the WNBA.

“Don’t be surprised if the WNBA is next on his list, because when you’ve got all of these protests that have been going out there and people have been protesting against him and what have you, this man is coming,” Smith said on ESPN’s “First Take.”

Smith also questioned why Patel traveled from the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., to New York City to announce the NBA-related indictments.

“We’ve seen accusations before. We’ve seen athletes get in trouble with the law before. You don’t see the director of the FBI having a press conference. It’s not coincidental. It’s not an accident. It’s a statement, and it’s a warning that more is coming.”

The “Straight Shooter” podcast host added, “In his eyes, folks tried to throw [Trump] in jail. In his eyes, he’s innocent, and ‘they’re trying to put me behind bars. I’m getting everybody.’ He’s not playing.”

When questioned about Stephen A. Smith’s suggestion that the FBI bust was some revenge orchestrated by Trump, Director Patel told Fox News host Laura Ingraham, “I’m the FBI director. I decide which arrests to conduct and which not to conduct.”

He said of Smith’s remarks, “That may be the single dumbest thing I’ve ever heard out of anyone in modern history, and I live most of my time in Washington, D.C.”

Smith’s theory about the NBA bust is unlikely, as the criminal investigation was launched more than a year ago under the Biden administration, according to The New York Times.

Patel told Fox News, “It’s been going on some time.”

To Smith’s point about Trump, however, the president does have a long history of conflict with the NBA and its players. In 2020, Trump called the NBA a “political organization” after many players sat out playoff games in protest over police shootings and racial inequality.

“People are tired of the NBA,” Trump said at the time. “They’ve become like a political organization and that’s not a good thing. I don’t think that’s a good thing for sports or for the country.”