“Stephen A. Smith believes people are conspiring to get him fired from ESPN,” Awful Announcing posted on X.
Smith feels like the criticism coming his way is not accidental. He believes some people have spent the past year trying to get him fired from ESPN and SiriusXM by slowly undermining him and turning on him.
“I think that it’s important for my listeners and also the people here at SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio, for me to remind people of who the hell I am,” Smith said, per Awful Announcing. “Things have happened in my life over the last year or so that you have a right to know. There are many folks out there who want me done. They want me fired. They want me taken off the airwaves of SiriusXM. They want me taken off the airwaves of ESPN. Good luck with that.”
Stephen A. Smith believes people are conspiring to get him fired from ESPN https://t.co/FCD2eBhATU
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 8, 2026
At the same time, Smith says losing ESPN would not really stop him. In his mind, it would actually give him more freedom.
“You got folks out there that want me canceled,” Smith said. “I want you to imagine for a second that I’m no longer working for the Mouse during my day job. There’s no more ESPN, there’s no Walt Disney, and all there is SiriusXM and whatever else I want to do in the YouTube stratosphere. Do you understand that there would be no barricades? There would be no barriers. Do you understand? That would unleash me even more…careful what you wish for.”
Smith is apparently feuding with Matt Barnes, which stemmed from his ongoing feud with LeBron James.
Not long ago, he criticized LeBron James for taking a shot at Memphis as an NBA city, something that struck many as ironic, considering Smith made similar remarks about Memphis on First Take just last year. After Smith went after James over those comments, Matt Barnes accused Smith of frequently being disrespectful toward members of the Black community. Barnes pointed to figures like Serena Williams, Jasmine Crockett, and Kamala Harris as examples to support his criticism.
Barnes also accused Smith of “tap dancing for the whole white Republican Party” and calling him hypocritical. He brought up Smith’s past comments, too, saying he has disrespected people like Serena Williams, Jasmine Crockett, and Kamala Harris.
Smith pushed back and said he is just doing his job.
“Why are y’all acting like you’re flamethrowers? Are you employed by the brother? Why are we overreacting to everything… He’s LeBron,” he said. “He makes news. I report on it. I’m not an influencer. It’s my job.”
What started as a sports conversation has now turned into a bigger back-and-forth between Smith and Barnes, and it does not look like it is slowing down anytime soon.
Matt Barnes shows disappointment in Stephen A. Smith’s shift
In the latest short clips shared by All The Smoke Production, Matt Barnes opened up about where things stand between him and Stephen A.
He questioned Smith’s appearances on Fox and what he sees as a shift toward more right-leaning opinions, suggesting that influence from Bill O’Reilly may be playing a role.
He even brought up Jason Whitlock, criticizing him as someone who has lost credibility and now focuses on race-driven commentary. Barnes warned Smith that people are starting to view him in a similar way, even though he made it clear he does not believe Smith is that person.
“And it’s more disheartening than anything because I wasn’t trying to disrespect,” Barnes said in the video posted on All the Smoke Production. “I look up to you, but what you’ve been on is bullshit, bro. Plain and simple. You can debate about this, you can scream, you can cuss. I got you fucked up, whatever it is, we see it. And when I say we, I’m talking about the former athletes who used to really confide in and come holler at you, like you used to be the go-to. But now we don’t even know you, bro.”
Barnes did not say anything about wanting Smith fired. Instead, he focused more on how their relationship has changed over time. He made it clear that there was once a strong bond between them, but now it feels different. Over the years, Barnes has appeared on Smith’s radio, YouTube, and TV platforms, which makes this situation feel even more personal.
Now, it is just a matter of time until we see how things unfold further.
