‘I ain’t change, they changed’: Stephen A. Smith fires back at critics who say the old him wouldn’t act like he does now

The ESPN pundit was a guest on Cam Newton’s “Funky Friday” podcast and opened up on everything from becoming one of the most visible people in sports media to his issues with LeBron James, betrayal and more.

Stephen A. Smith has long been considered polarizing. His success on “First Take” and as a noted journalist and media figure have vaulted him to the top of the list of the most influential people in sports journalism and among the most powerful. At the same time with that power, Smith has come under fire for his comments about notable Black figures, politicians and more.

Famously, Joy Reid told Smith to “stick to sports” after his reaction to Renee Good being shot and killed by ICE agents in January. He’s also drawn the ire of Rep. Jasmine Crockett over several issues and has had others in the media space, such as “All The Smoke” host and former NBA champion Matt Barnes, address him for comments he made about LeBron James after James offered a critique of the city of Memphis.

“I played in Memphis, got a lot of love for the city, but there’s no doubt that the city needs an upgrade when it comes to its facilities for pro players,” Barnes said at the time. “But Stephen A., you shouldn’t have a problem with that.”

Barnes added, “You’ve been the same man in front of the camera for the last handful of months disrespecting Serena Williams, disrespecting Jasmine Crockett, disrespecting Kamala Harris, and tap dancing for the whole white Republican Party.”

Barnes said Smith was “on bullsh-t.” While many share the sentiment about the ESPN pundit, Smith fired back at those statements and others during his appearance on “Funky Friday” with Cam Newton.

Stephen A. vs. his critics

After Newton recalled Barnes saying the “old” Stephen A. wouldn’t exactly appreciate the “new” Stephen A., the 58-year-old commentator and HBCU grad flipped it on him.

“That’s bullsh-t, that’s not true,” Smith told Newton around the 1-hour mark of their conversation. “That’s not true. The old Stephen A. Smith and the new Stephen A. Smith is the same Stephen A. Smith. I ain’t changed. They changed.”

He added, “The fact of the matter is that there’s an expectation that’s been levied on my shoulders. And I remember I had this argument with one of my boys. Don’t come to me trying to put new expectations on me because I finally got the paper that validates the work that I’ve done for decades. I earned this sh-t. Ain’t nobody give this to me. I worked my ass off.

“Nobody can question my work ethic and what I accomplished and the muck and mire that I had to endure to climb this ladder and get to where I got. We’re sitting up here as Black people constantly talking about how we want I just do and we want what we’ve earned and we want what we deserve and then a brother come along and do it and now you want to sit up there and place new expectations because I’m the one that made it. F-ck that! That’s not right.”

Smith’s rise from a Philadelphia journalist to part of the ESPN family in the early 2000s, due in large part to his work and connection with Allen Iverson, is well documented. He isn’t willing to back down from the success he’s carved out, even if it pains him to hear Black people say he’s “sold out.” After admitting that 2025 was a tough year, he realized there were certain things he could get over. Betrayal wasn’t one of them.

“When I feel betrayed, bro?” Smith began. “It could be, it could be women. It could be some of my boys. I’ve had people literally say, ‘Black people don’t f-ck with you. You’ve betrayed your race. We don’t want to f-ck with you. Those people can never come back in my life. They can go to hell. They can never come back. To know me? That cut deep. I almost lost my career because I looked out.”

Smith readily admits that he feels he’d be paid even more handsomely if he did the things people accuse him of to warrant the “sell-out” tag. But the longtime journalist knows that even when he’s speaking his truth, someone is listening. And he’s not willing to back off from what he feels is his job to do.