ESPN basketball personality Stephen A. Smith brings with him an acquired taste, a taste that many don’t seem overly thrilled with.
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The Worldwide Leader’s resident loudmouth (apologies to Skip Bayless), Smith seems to have a knack for getting under the skin of many including the professional athletes he covers.
Case in point? Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut who recently called the columnist turned reporter a ‘wanker’ during an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Australian NBA star Andrew Bogut has lashed out at controversial ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith, calling him a ‘wanker’,” says Ray Ward.
“The loudly spoken journalist, who stars on ESPN’s morning talk show First Take, is a divisive figure in US sports who often takes unpopular positions on sport and social issues while also calling out major athletes.”
Both Smith and Bogut have had a war of words for some time though it doesn’t appear to be very friendly or staged in nature, like many may have assumed at first.
Most recently, Smith called the oft-injured big man ‘Andrew Bogus’ and dug even deeper when he suggested said people in the NBA call Bogut a “tin man” behind his back, which is in reference to the Wizard of Oz character who lacked a heart.
Pretty sure Smith has already caught wind of Bogut’s comments so we’ll see if he chooses to take the high road, which may be a first, or if he has another dig ready to unleash at the Warriors center.
Still nursing an in-season injury, Bogut says he plans to undergo a scan on his ribs before deciding if he’d play for the Australian Boomers during the FIBA basketball world cup.