Stephen A. Smith, known for his outspoken opinions on sports, recently found himself in a bit of a blunder on ESPN’s First Take. During a debate with Shannon Sharpe about the Los Angeles Clippers trading away Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 2019, Smith referenced a supposed Instagram post from Gilgeous-Alexander, suggesting he was taunting his former team. However, it turns out the post was fake, created by a basketball parody account called “NBACentel.”
Stephen A. Smith duped by fake NBA social media post again https://t.co/Z2jtVuqpIx
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 8, 2024
Smith’s error didn’t go unnoticed, as another parody account, Ballsack Sports, took credit for fooling him. This isn’t the first time Smith has fallen for fake news, as he previously believed a fabricated story about a fight between Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
It’s not just Smith who’s been duped by parody accounts either. Other ESPN personalities have also fallen for fake reports in the past. This highlights the importance of fact-checking and media literacy, especially when it comes to social media posts.
While Smith may have made a mistake this time, hopefully, it serves as a lesson in verifying information before sharing it.
