Stephen A. Smith Blasts Players for Being Silent on NBA Issues: It Might Be Why You’re Told ‘Shut Up And Dribble’

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith frequently advocates for more Black head coaches and executives in the NBA. Now he’s calling out the hypocrisy of NBA players, who speak out for social equality, but ignore the issue within their own sport.

During Wednesday’s First Take on ESPN, Smith stormed off set shortly after the Boston Celtics announced they were promoting head coach Brad Stevens to team president. Smith used it as another example of favoritism toward White coaches and executives in the NBA.

“I wasn’t even getting on the owners or the teams, I was really pointing the finger at the NBA players who sit idly by and say nothing,” Smith said Thursday as he explained why he walked off set in frustration 24 hours earlier. “They should be ashamed of themselves. ASHAMED. No heart,” he later added.

“We wanna speak about police brutality, fine. We wanna speak about social justice, racial inequality, great,” Smith said. “But the reason why some people, even though they may not acknowledge it enough, they were wrong to do it, because don’t you dare tell us to ‘shut up and dribble’ don’t you ever tell an athlete that. But maybe the reason that some people might have said it is because you ain’t speaking about issues in your own backyard.”

Black athletes make up more than 70% of the NBA’s players, but only seven of the league’s 30 teams have Black head coaches.

“This, they’re experts on,” Smith said of NBA players. “They know what the hell is going on in the coaching ranks, they know what the hell is going on in the coaching ranks, they know what the hell is going with minorities in the front offices. And you say nothing? Nothing?”

Watch above via, ESPN