‘Stick to talking about sports you never played’: Stephen Jackson calls out Stephen A. Smith’s comments on Black women and politics

After criticizing Jasmine Crockett & Serena Williams, social media and Stephen Jackson flag a pattern in Stephen A. Smith’s commentary.

Former NBA star Stephen Jackson isn’t here for Stephen A. Smith’s selective energy, especially when that energy seems to shift depending on who’s sitting across from him.

The retired basketball star took to Instagram to call out Smith after the ESPN host found himself in an awkward on-air exchange with Alexis Ohanian, husband to Serena Williams. The moment came when Ohanian pressed Smith during an appearance on “First Take,” questioning why Smith made comments about Serena’s cameo during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, and why he was speaking on a topic he “knows nothing about,” namely marriage.

Smith later addressed the moment on his podcast, saying he stood by his comments but had “nothing” against Ohanian and respected the Reddit co-founder for “playfully” confronting him.

But Jackson wasn’t buying it, and noticed how differently Smith handled Ohanian, a white billionaire, compared to how he often talks about Black athletes and Black women.

“Come on, Stephen A., bro. You get loud and all in your feelings about Bron, when talking to a Black billionaire. But when you talking to a white billionaire, you humble,” Jackson said in a clip shared to his Instagram Stories. “And you come back on your show talking real respectful, mild-mannered… Right, bro, listen. And you doggin’ the Black women. Stay out of politics and stick to talking about sports you never played, alright? Just stick to doing that bro. We’re not gonna vote for you. I heard you talking about running, don’t do that, bro. We’re not gonna vote for you. No. No, no, no. We’re not. … You do not have the same energy for other people, but you got a lot of energy for Bron and Black women and not everybody else, stop it.”

Jackson’s words echoed what a lot of Black viewers have noticed: a pattern in Smith’s commentary in which he comfortably criticizes Black women like Williams, Kamala Harris and most recently Jasmine Crockett. So much so, that now some social media users are calling to boycott “First Take.” 

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In regards to his comments on Williams, Smith clarified that he was merely imagining how he would feel if his own wife were in Serena’s position.

 “If that was my wife, I don’t want to see that,” he said. “He is her husband, he loves her dearly. They have two wonderful children together, and I have absolutely no issue with him whatsoever with him wanting to address that situation with me.”

But Jackson’s comments underscore a bigger issue how Black women’s choices, bodies, and relationships continue to be dissected under harsher lights and oftentimes at the hands (or mouths) of Black men like Stephen A. Smith—a reality that has left many social media users, particularly Black women, asking themselves: When are we going to start protecting Black women? 

Activist Tamika Mallory spoke directly to Black men while reacting to Smith’s comments on Crockett: “Black men I have a question. I see a lot of great commentary from many of you on Stephen A. Smith’s ignorant statements time and time again. This time he disrespected a powerful Black woman who’s putting her life in danger fighting for US. At what point will you lead the charge to TURN HIM OFF?!?!”

“It is sad to me that he even gets an audience of Black men,” Tiffany Cross echoed on the Native Land Podcast, as previously reported by theGrio. “Why aren’t Black men right now saying: Stephen A. Smith, we’re banning him. We’re not listening to his podcast. We’re not watching his show anymore. That’s what Black women do. We organize.”

While we know its not all Black women, it’s refreshing to hear men like Jackson calling out Smith’s behavior.