Stephen A. Smith made bombshell claims while appearing on Paul George's podcast. “They don't want y'all to succeed…when I see brothers out there diversifying their portfolio, and maximizing the opportunities that would potentially be available to them, not only am I rooting for y'all, I have an obligation to help you, if you ask…I want you to succeed, I think there's room for everybody believe it or not," Smith said. "They" refers to what Smith refers to as "new media", though he chooses not to give any examples of what he would class as "new media". Furthermore, Smith doesn't give any examples of "new media" actively rooting for the failure of player-driven media ventures.
Pro athlete podcasts have become all the rage in recent years. Obviously, there is George's Podcast P. Meanwhile, the Kelce brothers over in the NFL have their podcast. If you reach a certain level of fame and brandability, it's more than likely that you or your team will push you towards starting a podcast. After all, sponsors will be easy to source, you have a much more familial relationship with potential guests. Athletes doing podcasts is something of a win-win for all involved.
Stephen A. Smith Bashes New Media
Whereas he's been bashing "new media", Smith has been supportive of his ESPN colleagues in recent days. In another podcast appearance, Smith was asked about Malika Andrews' decision to discuss Brandon Miller's link to an Alabama murder investigation at the 2023 NBA Draft. Andrews briefly asked whether Miller's connection to the case would have any impact on how teams scouted him. At the time, this led to wave of backlash online. Many people accused Andrews of during sink Miller's career with unrelated lines of conversation.
“She’s getting crucified during the Draft because… Brandon Miller…bringing up somebody’s past. She had an obligation to ask those questions. She did her job. If she doesn’t do her job, she’s off the air," Smith said in response to the question. Meanwhile, during his Podcast P appearance, Smith also discussed the beef he had with the Irving family about comments he made about Kyrie and his father.
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