The Nemesis
Semper Tyrannus
Stephen A. Smith tries to stay current with too many sports. You can't be an expert in everything, you just end up being average.
That's probably the least of his problems. Ahead of that I would rank his ego, his arrogance, his apparent lack of concern with being beholden to facts or logic, and his aggressive and confrontational manner of dealing with people who oppose/refute/question/criticize him.
Just the other day he put out a "rumor" that Kevin Durant would consider Los Angeles his "top priority" destination if he were to leave Oklahoma City as a free agent. Not long after that Durant not only quashed that rumor, but questioned its sourcing given that Smith had never talked to Durant, his family, or his representation about the matter.
Smith's response, rather than admitting he got bad info or backing down because he was wrong, was to chastise Durant for questioning him, argue semantics, and strongly imply that he's somehow lost a measure of respect for Durant for having the audacity to publicly denounce the truthfulness of Smith's reporting of the issue.
Seriously, the exchange was basically this:
Smith: "Kevin Durant wants to target Los Angeles as a free agent if he leaves the Thunder, my sources say"
Durant: "That's a lie. I never said that. I've never told anyone that. And Smith never talked to me or anyone around me who might know if I had said something to that effect."
Smith: "I never said WILL! I said "I HEARD HE WILL!" I never said I talked to his family! I said I talked to people in the know. It doesn't matter what Durant says, I know what I heard because I've covered basketball for 2 decades! That trumps a guy giving his own unfiltered version of events because I'm Stephen A Smith! How dare he be offended that I reported something he claims is untrue! I'm the victim here! He should just put up with it because I don't need to talk to him to talk about him! I'll be here long after he's gone!"
He sounds like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. It's exactly the same as this stupid Yankees debate. He has no leg to stand on, so he'll just shout his point as loudly and angrily as he can and insist that he shouldn't have to justify himself with anything but the flimsiest non-evidence for support.