Stephen A. Smith fires back at New Orleans Pelicans over online troll
Stephen A. Smith of ESPN has never been one to shy away from saying what he wants to say. As one of highest paid members of his company, he’s offered that luxury. Sometimes that gets him in trouble from time to time.
And on Friday, he got into it with the New Orleans Pelicans after he mocked Zion Williamson’s struggles to manage his weight. The Pelicans didn’t take long to fire back. On Friday evening, they posted a video trolling Smith and making fun of his scoring average (1.5 points per game).
Stephen A. didn’t take long to fire back and he took to Twitter to do so.
“LESS!!! Can’t score when you can’t play due to a devastating knee injury. That’s a fact. Now…what’s y’all excuse for never winning anything???” Smith asked on Twitter.
“Can’t wait to see y’all in April. May and June? We won’t even go there! Good Luck! Tell my boys….Coach Green and CJ I’m always rooting for them,” the ESPN personality said.
He added in another quick bit to let everyone know that he’s actually a fan of the Pelicans and the city of New Orleans.
“I could zero in but I won’t! I happen to be fans of several players, plus the coach and definitely that city. You play. I’ll be watching. I’m not going anywhere! Good luck!” Smith chimed in on Friday evening.
Smith has long been critical of the former No. 1 overall pick out of Duke, routinely taking aim at his weight and eating habits. Williamson, 23, is currently listed at 6-foot-6, 284 pounds on the Pelicans’ official website. During a December episode of “First Take,” Smith claimed he heard that Williamson would “eat the table” at restaurants in New Orleans.
“It is shameful. I got chefs in New Orleans. I’m not exaggerating,” Smith said. “I’m not exaggerating, I’m quoting people. You got chefs in New Orleans who love him. They’re looking for him. Every chef there wants to meet him because they know he’ll show up to their restaurant. The word out on Zion Williamson is that he’ll eat the table.”
Zion Williamson showing up for Pelicans this season
The oft-injured Williamson, who played in just 29 games over the past two seasons, has been healthy this season, suiting up in 45-of-56 games. He’s averaging 22.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game, shooting 58.5% from the field and 36.4% from behind the arc. The Pelicans (34-22) sit fifth in the Western Conference standings, currently riding a four-game winning streak. Williamson is a big reason for their success.
“We’re seeing Zion get better and better as the season progresses,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green said after New Orleans’ 127-105 victory over the Houston Rockets Thursday, in which Williamson scored 27 points. “This is what happens when you put the ball in his hands, especially early.”
On3’s Nick Geddes also contributed to this article.