Stephen A. Smith brought the local politics of Memphis into the public eye this week while analyzing the city’s NBA team trade of young shooting guard Desmond Bane to Orlando.
After Smith alleged that NBA stars (including Jimmy Butler) are not interested in playing for the Grizzlies because Memphis is not the “safest environment,” many felt he crossed a line, including Memphis star Ja Morant.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young joined the fray on Wednesday, not only defending his city but also saying that Smith is flat-out wrong.
“Stephen called us a great sports town — facts,” Young’s office wrote. “But what he is missing is that violent crime is down significantly in 2024 and 2025. We’re not just talking change, we’re delivering it. Memphis is rising, and we’ve got the numbers and the heart to prove it.”
My thoughts on @stephenasmith’s statement about Memphis: pic.twitter.com/yCDQEpR5q4
— Paul Young (@mayorpaulyoung) June 18, 2025
A January story in the Commercial Appeal cited a study by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation showing major violent crime in Memphis was down 4.2 percent in 2024 compared with 2023. The murder rate was down nearly 30 percent, while major property crime dropped 20 percent, according to the same study. An April 2025 article citing TBI data stated that crime had continued to decline, and violent crime was down by almost nine percent year-over-year.
Since being elected amid a historic surge in crime, Young has made lowering the crime rate in the city a key part of his agenda. Last month, Young even went to bat against newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel — whose words Stephen A. Smith cited in his rants this week — over the city’s reputation for violence.
Smith acknowledged the mayor’s point that crime was down, but argued Memphis still had a perception problem.
“In fairness to the mayor … I wanted to throw this out there and I thought it was important,” Smith said before citing declining crime statistics. “It’s moving in the right direction, but it’s still recognized as one of the worst cities in America.”
“It’s moving in the right direction, but it’s still recognized as one of the worst cities in America. To the point where the head of the FBI has called it ‘the murder capital of this country’ per capita. That’s on the record.” – Stephen A. Smith discussing Memphis on First Take pic.twitter.com/FKhPHV96lY
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 18, 2025
Smith is used to winning feuds with star athletes and his sparring partners on First Take. The political arena is much different, and the stakes are much higher. Besides Young’s response, Smith, a self-identified liberal, also found himself in line with a right-wing state senator over his rhetoric about the crime rate in Memphis.
More than just a box score or the playoff standings, when Smith takes an entire municipality to task, he is speaking to people’s cultures and their livelihoods. It comes across much differently to reference actual human deaths on live television compared with missed free throws or a bad interception.
Clearly, Smith was ready to follow up on his initial comments, but ESPN is not the best place for these conversations.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.