While Stephen A. Smith and Malika Andrews have their own history of on-air disagreements over NBA drama, the First Take host on Wednesday took to his podcast to defend Andrews over criticism of her coverage of a new off-court NBA storyline.
This week on X (formerly Twitter), former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver turned entrepreneur Dez Bryant called Andrews a “puppet” and attacked her upbringing. Bryant said Andrews choosing not to cover the NBA investigation into Oklahoma City guard Josh Giddey’s alleged relationship with a minor after “crucifying” Hornets wing Brandon Miller over criminal charges was due to the race of each player.
“I dont know how a former or current nba player could sit there across from you and look at you with some kind of respect,” Bryant wrote on X.
.@malika_andrews you went out your way to crucify Brandon Miller on draft day over something he didn’t even do
Why haven’t you said nothing about Josh Giddey
I advise you not to make this a black or white thing
Your parents really raised you wrong and just because you went…
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) November 27, 2023
However, Smith detailed why the situations are different.
“(Miller) was the No. 2 overall pick on draft night in the National basketball Association, he was going to be the No. 2 pick of the Charlotte Hornets,” Smith explained. “The city of Charlotte is considered the Bible Belt.”
Miller was not charged in the death of Jamea Jonae Harris. But a police investigator testified earlier this year that Miller was at the scene of the crime. In October, Harris’ family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Miller and two others.
Miller completed the season with the Alabama program before being selected second overall in the NBA Draft.
“When Brandon Miller showed up at South Carolina, you would have thought he was Hillary Clinton. They were screaming, ‘lock him up, lock him up, lock him up,'” Smith added. “How in God’s name does Malika Andrews not ask that question on draft night? She had to … that goes for any journalist.”
It’s unclear what question Smith is referring to, but Andrews was criticized for addressing Miller’s connection to Harris’ death during ESPN’s NBA Draft broadcast in June.
This week, as the NBA and Newport Beach police look into allegations that Giddey had improper relations with a young girl in the area, Bryant and others argued Andrews, who also hosts NBA Today daily on ESPN, did not say enough.
Smith believes Andrews is just doing her job as a journalist.
“In this Josh Giddey situation, because the situation is so sensitive, you can’t go on the air with a strong opinion, sounding accusatory as if you’re indicting someone when an investigation is still open,” Smith explained. “We don’t know.”
Last summer, Andrews called into First Take and sharply challenged Smith’s perspective on the dismissal of Ime Udoka from the Boston Celtics. Rumors swirled about an inappropriate workplace relationship between Udoka and a coworker, and Andrews told Smith to “stop” pointing a finger at women in the Boston organization as he reacted to the news. The two clashed in an uncomfortable live moment.
Smith said on his show this week that Andrews apologized for the incident. But he still stuck out his neck for her.
“It’s not about protecting Malika Andrews, it’s about protecting the industry,” Smith said. “It’s about understanding and making you understand what comes along with this job. You keep thinking we have choices, we don’t always have choices. You have to ask those questions.”
Finally, Smith addressed Bryant directly. He agreed with Bryant’s premise that Black men are often held to an unfair standard when it comes to impropriety or crimes. But he believed Bryant picked the wrong circumstances to go at Andrews.
“To the Dez Bryants out there, what I’m going to say is mad respect for Dez Bryant … he’s a good dude, his heart’s in the right place,” Smith said. “And what he’s really pointing to is that as Black men, sometimes we get a heavy hammer while others get treated considerably with a lighter hand. That offends us, that takes us aback. We don’t like it. That’s true. Malika Andrews is not guilty of that in this situation.”
He continued:
“When you implied that she is, your argument falls on deaf ears because those who know better know not to take you seriously if you accuse her of that. … When you really have something to say down the line, no one is going to listen.”
Smith may have had his issues with Andrews in the past, but he is rarely going to bash ESPN colleagues directly or allow incorrect perceptions to linger. And in the NBA world Smith knows better than most as a longtime NBA reporter and commentator, he understands racial dynamics far better than Bryant or even Andrews would.
