‘He’s Coming’: Stephen A. Smith Warns Massive NBA Gambling Bust Is Trump’s Revenge — and It’s Only the Beginning
ESPN pundit and prospective political candidate Stephen A. Smith has warned that the widespread gambling bust involving an NBA coach and several current and former players is part of a revenge plot by President Donald Trump — and it’s only the beginning.
Speaking on First Take on Thursday morning — minutes after the FBI concluded a press conference on the complicated operation — Smith floated the possibility that the criminal takedown was ordered by Trump himself to sully the reputation of the NBA, which kicked off its 2025-2026 season this week.
Big night for the NBA — [Victor] Wembanyama put on a show. That has now been smeared because we’re talking about this story, OK? Remember, Trump has a long, long history connected to the world of sports because he had those casinos. Where do you think folks were coming half the time? I’m not talking about individuals, I’m talking about the culture. When people want to go to a casino, when people wanna gamble, when people wanna party, or whatever the case may be, this was his kind of connection to that.”
He then turned to ESPN analyst Monica McNutt, saying Trump may not just be targeting men’s basketball.
“Don’t be surprised if the WNBA is next on his list, because when you’ve got all of these protests that have been going out there and people have been protesting against him and what have you, this man is coming,” Smith said. “He’s coming.”
Smith also raised suspicion about the presence of FBI Director Kash Patel, who led the press conference in New York on Thursday.
“I’m watching a press conference with the director of the FBI. Tell me when we’ve seen that,” he said. “We’ve seen accusations before. We’ve seen athletes get in trouble with the law before. You don’t see the director of the FBI having a press conference. It’s not coincidental. It’s not an accident. It’s a statement, and it’s a warning that more is coming.”
He added: “In his eyes, folks tried to throw [Trump] in jail. In his eyes, he’s innocent and ‘they’re trying to put me behind bars. I’m getting everybody.’ He’s not playing.”
Wrapping up his remarks, Smith issued an ominous warning: “This is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s very concerning. We don’t know where this is gonna go. But everybody better brace themselves, because he’s coming.”
Thirty people, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat star Terry Rozier, have been charged with swindling others to the tune of tens of millions of dollars through sports betting and Mafia-backed poker games, authorities announced Thursday.
Watch above via First Take.
