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Stephen A. Smith responds to Jaylen Brown after the Boston Celtics star called the popular ESPN personality the “face of clickbait media” during a Twitch live stream over the weekend.
Brown also referred to Smith as a “clown,” but the veteran sports pundit took the time on Monday’s edition of “First Take” to address those comments in a lengthy rant.
“I’m not going to disrespect Jaylen Brown,” Smith said. “…It’s pointing the finger in the wrong direction. Point it at yourself, brother.”
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Stephen A. Smith questioned whether NBA players feel safe in Memphis, and Grizzlies guard Ja Morant responded during an NBA event in 2024. (Kirby Lee/Image Images)
Smith had criticized Brown for saying that last season with the Boston Celtics, who finished in the first round of the playoffs with a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, was his favorite with the franchise. Brown responded Sunday night by telling the ESPN personality to “give up.”
“Did he just say he needed to be silent? Be silent for who?” Brown said Sunday night. “Man, f— Stephen A. Stephen A, Stephen B, Stephen C. My offer still stands. You want me to shut up and stop broadcasting, well, I want you to stay quiet and get off these networks because you’re not using your platform to do real journalism. You’re using your platform to use clickbait.”
CELTICS STAR JAYLEN BROWN TEARS TO ESPN’S STEPHEN A SMITH AS FEUD ESCALS: ‘CLICKBAIT MEDIA FACE’
“Tell this mother—-to retire because she is the face of the clickbait media right now and maybe with her retirement we can spark a movement to get the rest of these mothers—-out of here, or to also have some kind of…forget journalistic integrity, real integrity so they can be held accountable to the bulls they make.”
However, Smith doubled down on his previous comment in Monday’s monologue.
“The Boston Celtics, the franchise with the most history in the annals of basketball, 18 [championships]. You helped deliver one of them just two years ago. Two years later, you all surrender a 3-1 lead for the first time in your history, in franchise history, with you driving the bus. And 24 hours after you didn’t go to the basket in the last two minutes, after you took three-pointers on six different occasions and missed them all. [In] 24 hours after that ended, you appeared on camera as a representative of the Boston Celtics and called it your favorite season. A season where Jayson Tatum was benched for 60 games, a season that ended with you blowing a 3-1 lead, a season that ended with you rebounding in the First Round. “You went on and said that was your favorite season.”
“Since you represent the franchise, I was simply pointing out that it was unwise for someone who considers himself relatively wise to say that 24 hours after being sent home, after giving up a 3-1 playoff lead for the first time in franchise history. That’s what I said.”
Celtics star Jaylen Brown responded to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith after the “First Take” host told Brown to “shut up” following Boston’s playoff collapse. (Image images)
Smith ended his rant with a warning for Brown.
“In the end, Jaylen Brown, be careful what you wish for,” he said. “Do you really want me to start reporting at that level? Get it? The locker room, what the organization might feel about you, what the city might feel about you, what Jayson Tatum might or might not feel about you. Sneaker deals, endorsement deals, the list goes on and on.
“The season’s over, bro. You’re on Twitch trying to do what I do, and I need to get away. It doesn’t make sense. I’m not being disrespectful. I’m just pointing out that it’s not wise after 24 hours of finishing your season in the First Round for you to come out talking about how that’s your favorite season. It’s not the smartest thing to do in the world.”
Smith also prefaced his statement by saying that he has been on Brown’s side all season, as well as in the past. He mentioned his philanthropy within his community and explained how much he respected Brown.
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown dribbles the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 30, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Image Images)
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As Smith mentioned, the Celtics were surprisingly eliminated from the NBA Playoffs after losing three straight games to end their first-round series with the Sixers. During the regular season, with Tatum rehabbing an injury, Brown was the Celtics’ focal point, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.
Boston ended up earning the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing 56-26, but they couldn’t finish against Philadelphia, ultimately setting up an unfortunate franchise history in the process.
