Stephen A. Smith and Markieff Morris Exchange Words Over 2017 Butt Slap

Stephen A. Smith has a long history of irritating athletes. The latest player to take objection to Smith’s comments is the Pistons’ Markieff Morris. 

Morris took to Twitter where he urged Stephen A. Smith to “Stop being a tough guy behind cameras and mics.” This prompted the ESPN staple to defend himself while explaining the comments he made about Morris. 

“Ain’t about being done tough guy bro. I simply pointed out how I [thought] you were playing around a couple of years ago, and then YOU publicly stated what your real intent was AFTERWARD to someone in the media,” Smith said. But as his fans know, Smith wasn’t going to let just one statement speak for him.

“Nobody has any right to put there hands on someone. I’d like to believe you know that. I respect you — and your fam — as well as your right to not like me,” Smith continued. “What I said and I still mean it. If anyone puts their hands on you and talks Sh&$@, what would you say or do. Come on bro? I’ve got respect for you and your bro — like I said — but you know you had no business doing that……if you weren’t playing around. I thought you were!”

This exchange was sparked by Stephen A. Smith’s recent appearance on the Breakfast Club. At around the interview’s 7-minute mark, Angela Yee asks Smith about Morris smacking him on the butt following a game in 2017.

“I thought nothing of it until he said publicly, ‘Well, I just did that because that’s all I could do,” Smith said. “I said, ‘Okay.’ And I went on national TV and said, ‘Let that happen again.'” Because of this remark, Morris wants Smith to have “that same energy” the next time the two come face to face.