Stephen A. Smith Called Out For Disrespecting "First Take" Panelist

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The Apollo Presents In Conversation: Fat Joe
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 15: Stephen A. Smith speaks onstage during "In Conversation with Fat Joe" at The Apollo Theater on November 15, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Shahar Azran/Getty Images)

Stephen A.'s at it again.

It's been a while since we had some true Stephen A. drama. Well, thankfully the veteran broadcaster was back to stir up some tension on First Take. It all began during a conversation about Joe Burrow versus Lamar Jackson. Smith went off on a tangent about how he doesn't complain about how regular co-host Molly Querim "disrespects him every day". He appeared to be responding to a point made by panelist Kimberley A. Martin, who didn't look amused as Smith rambled. "Okay first of all. Stephen A. - you got one more time to call me Kim," Martin began her response. Querim then chimes in, apologizing for also calling Martin "Kim" but Martin appears to wave it off.

That little move set Stephen A. off big time. "Hold on hold on hold on. Molly sitting right next to you and she call you Kim and you say nothing to her. But I'm here in LA and you're gonna get on me?" Meanwhile, Martin can be heard saying "I don't call you Steve," as Smith yells at her. As Dan Orlovsky tries to egg on Smith, Qerim tries to restore some semblance of order, "Okay time out. Time out. Let's try to get this right. Let's try to get this right because Stephen still thinks my last name is Queer-Im." Qerim's name is pronounced Ker-rim.

Read More: Stephen A. says LeBron's legacy would be nothing with Dwyane Wade

Stephen A. Continues His Reign Of Cringe

Once again, Stephen A. put his whole ass on display. All he had to do in this situation was apologize to Martin and move on. Instead, he decided to fight her because he didn't like being called out for his mistake. Of course, this is the second time in a matter of weeks that Smith has done this exact thing.

Earlier this month, Smith decided that he was going to go to war with Lonzo Ball, going as far as to reveal that he had been using Ball's doctors as sources just to try and get the last laugh about Ball's recovery. While Smith will not face any major consequences for this potential HIPAA violation, it is starting to become a trend for the broadcaster. More and more, his content has become about fighting people for his bad/incorrect takes rather than actually saying meaningful. One has to imagine just what heights that will reach once Shannon Sharpe joins the show next week.

Read More: Michael A. Jordan texted a hot take to Stephen A. at 6am and made him read on it First Take

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About The Author
Benjamin Mock (they/them) is a sports and culture writer working out of Philadelphia. Previously writing for the likes of Fixture, Dexerto, Fragster, and Jaxon, Ben has dedicated themselves to engaging and accessible articles about sports, esports, and internet culture. With a love for the weirder stories, you never quite know what to expect from their work.