Stephen A. Smith tells Solitaire critics to ‘kiss my ass’

Stephen A. Smith took a lot of flak over the weekend.

One of the faces of ESPN’s NBA coverage was caught playing Solitaire during Game 4 of the NBA Finals by a fan sitting at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana. Smith claimed he was multitasking during a timeout, despite the shot clearly showing live action on the court.

Pat McAfee appreciated the commitment to the bit. Nick Wright mocked him.

As for Stephen A. Smith, he told everyone to kiss his ass.

He went on SiriusXM on Tuesday — where he’ll soon have a new show, which was unbeknownst to the hosts he’s apparently replacing — and addressed it with Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson. The two got to the bottom of what was so captivating on his phone during the Finals.

“I was doing what the hell I always do,” Smith said. “And for those out there who don’t like it, kiss my ass. “When I’m watching the game, I’m watching the game. If there’s a break in the action, it could be a dead ball; it could be a timeout or something like that; I can play the damn thing for two seconds. Somebody is standing over me, upper deck, zooming in on my phone, watching me, and saying, ‘Oh, he’s playing Solitaire. He’s not focusing on the game.’ I watch over 100 games a year. I’m on TV every morning for two hours — 10 hours live – every day. And that’s just one job. That don’t count Countdown. That don’t count SportsCenter. That don’t count all the obligations that I have.

“And I’m sitting there and getting a little break, and I decide to play a little Solitaire, which, by the way, I always do. And I mean always… If it’s halftime, I might go on my phone for two minutes and play Solitaire. At the end of the game, before the game, I do the same thing. Damnit, if you have had a little break in between, I might’ve been playing it again because I like the game.”

“I was doing what the hell I always do…for those out there that don’t like it – kiss my ass”@stephenasmith addresses the reaction to him playing solitaire during Game 4 with @termineradio & @jumpshot8 #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/zOktJ0f03L

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) June 17, 2025

Look, we’ve all been on our phones during games. But most of us aren’t being paid handsomely to be there. And most of us don’t show up to work in pajamas, glued to our devices, on live TV, the same day.

At the very least, we can take solace in it being Solitaire and not something more nefarious. But Smith still doesn’t get why people are upset. He’s failed to recognize that when your analysis is already under fire, the last thing you can afford to do is look bored with basketball, especially during the NBA Finals.

But then again, maybe he needs it to stay engaged amid juggling 9,000 jobs.