Stephen A. Smith was caught playing Solitaire on his phone during Game 4 of the NBA Finals. A photo of the ESPN analyst quickly went viral on X after a fan claimed to have seen him sitting and playing the game during the matchup between the Pacers and Thunder.
In an attempt to clarify the situation, Smith posted on X: “Yep! That’s me. Who would’ve thought… I can multi-task. Especially during TIMEOUTS! Hope y’all are enjoying the NBA Finals.” However, his post was flagged with a context note by users suggesting he was lying.
The person who took the photo insists there was no timeout at the time, and another user even posted a video showing Smith playing Solitaire while the game was still underway, with players actively competing on the court.
Smith tried to defend himself
Along with his message on X, Smith also posted a screenshot showing the Solitaire game on his phone with a small window at the top displaying a live stream of NBA Finals Game 4. Still, the backlash was swift.
One reply summed up the public sentiment: “Watching the NBA Finals game on your phone while playing Solitaire while also at the actual NBA Finals game. This not looking good Stephen A. You wouldn’t be playing Solitaire if the game was actually enjoyable to watch.”
Kevin Durant joins the criticism
Kevin Durant also chimed in. On his personal Instagram Stories, Durant reposted the viral photo of Smith playing Solitaire and added a short message: “Cmon Steve.” No other players have responded publicly as of yet.