It’s apparently open season on Stephen A. Smith. Barstool’s Mark Titus teed off on the polarizing ESPN personality and also ripped the company for making its coverage of the Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals too Smith-centric. “I would have zero problem with anything Stephen A. Smith is saying or doing if he wasn’t on NBA Finals broadcasts,” … Read more
What is better than one Smith? Two Smiths. Famous ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith and his daughter, Samantha, shared rare screen time together ahead of the Pacers’ 108-91 Game 6 trashing of the Thunder in Indianapolis. It seemed like Smith had no intentions of bringing his daughter on “SportsCenter” until co-host Elle Duncan invited her … Read more
Monday’s Game 5 recap of the NBA Finals took an interesting pivot on “SportsCenter.” When discussing the Thunder’s 120-109 home win over the Pacers, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins playfully chided fellow analyst Richard Jefferson over an exchange he was having with Perkins’ wife, Vanity. “Were you just waving at my wife?” Perkins asked Jefferson, who was … Read more
Charles Barkley is ready to call this year’s NBA Finals in favor of the Thunder. Following Oklahoma City’s 111-104 road victory over the Pacers on Friday night, Barkley said the Thunder now have a huge advantage and called the series “a wrap” after the game. “Yeah, I think they are in trouble,” Barkley said of … Read more
Stephen A. Smith may not have played his cards right. The polarizing ESPN personality is being criticized for playing the popular card game Solitaire during the Thunder’s 111-104 road win over the Pacers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday, with even rival NBA player Kevin Durant joining in on the mocking. Durant … Read more
LeBron James said he never allowed his family to attend his games while playing in 10 NBA Finals unless it was a closeout situation. During the latest installment of his “Mind the Game” podcast, the Lakers star, who won four NBA titles in 22 seasons, explained that his wife, Savannah, and their three kids, Bronny, … Read more
Mike Breen shared a heartfelt message Sunday to his ESPN colleague, top sideline reporter Lisa Salters, who missed Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Thunder and Pacers to tend to her ailing mother. Moments after sideline reporter Jorge Sedano provided commentary on the second half of the game, with Oklahoma City leading 59-41 … Read more
Tyrese Haliburton’s girlfriend seemingly had a tense exchange with someone in the stands during Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday. Jade Jones, who made the trip to Oklahoma City to support the Pacers guard, appeared to argue with Thunder fans at Paycom Center, as seen in a video on social media. Jones stood … Read more
The NBA and ABC digitally inserted images of the Larry O’Brien Trophy onto the court during the broadcast of Game 2 of the NBA Finals, leading an array of reactions on social media — many of which made fun of the decision. Fans had taken umbrage with the fact that there were no decals during … Read more
ESPN’s top NBA sideline reporter will not be on the ABC broadcast of Game 2 of the NBA Finals Sunday night. Lisa Salters is missing the Thunder-Pacers matchup in Oklahoma City due to a personal matter, according to multiple reports. Jorge Sedano will fill in for Salters. Lisa Salters will miss ABC’s broadcast of Game … Read more
Many fans were left without something after Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning shot in Game 1 of the NBA Finals — commentator Mike Breen’s signature “bang” call. Breen, who has been announcing the NBA Finals for 20 years, chose to forego the legendary call on Thursday, opting for the more generic — but still effective — “It’s … Read more
Who really needs to see all of an epic comeback anyway? A local ABC affiliate in Indiana cut away with a little more than a minute left during the Pacers’ stunning 111-110 come-from-behind win in Game 1 of the NBA Finals Thursday against the Thunder to instead show the teasers for that night’s 11 p.m. … Read more
Tyrese Haliburton’s girlfriend made the trip to Oklahoma City to support the Pacers guard in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. Jade Jones was especially hyped after Haliburton’s go-ahead jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining to beat the Thunder, 111-110, after the Pacers trailed by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter. “3 … Read more
It looks like Shaquille O’Neal is wasting no time making himself comfortable at his soon-to-be new network. O’Neal invaded ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” set on Thursday minutes before Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Pacers and Thunder. Midway through the show, O’Neal made his way onto the set and was met with tons of … Read more
Was the Knicks’ elimination in the Eastern Conference finals just delaying the inevitable? New York certainly had the star power coming out of the East as opposed to the Pacers, but Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski doesn’t think the Knicks could have held up against the Thunder. “I’m glad it was the Pacers, not the Knicks … Read more
It was a sweet celebration Saturday for Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton and girlfriend Jade Jones. Moments after the Pacers punched their ticket to the NBA Finals with a dominant 128-105 victory over the Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Jones embraced Haliburton on the floor at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis as the … Read more
Even if they complete a miracle comeback against the Pacers, an NBA championship is not in the Knicks’ future, at least according to Stephen A. Smith. During Friday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take,” Smith was brutally honest about his team, saying the Knicks have practically no shot against the Western Conference champion Thunder in the … Read more
The hottest stars had prime real estate on celebrity row at Madison Square Garden for Game 5 of the Knicks-Pacers Eastern Conference finals on Thursday night. The stars were on hand to watch the home team’s quest to keep their season alive and bounce back from a 3-1 series hole. Knicks superfans Timothée Chalamet, Ben … Read more
These stars scored a seat on celebrity row to see the No. 3 seed Knicks take on the fourth-seeded Pacers at Madison Square Garden in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night. Olivia “Livvy” Dunne — who was revealed as the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover star last week — rocked a … Read more
Barstool Founder Dave Portnoy looks to have had one of the best days of his life while taking part in the Boston Celtics championship victory parade on Friday. “I honestly wish my worst enemies have a day like today. Everybody deserves to live,” Portnoy posted on X. The Celtics successfully closed out the Mavericks in … Read more