ESPN personalities Stephen A. Smith and Malika Andrews have had their fair share of spats over the years, but Smith recently defended Andrews on his podcast over her coverage of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Josh Giddey.
Smith’s defense came out after former Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant called Andrews out on X, formerly known as Twitter, for being notably silent when it was reported that Giddey, a white player from Australia, was being investigated for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship
with an underage girl.Smith started the segment by pointing out that Giddey is being investigated for an inappropriate relationship with a minor but added that the facts of the situation have yet to be released.
“And because we don’t know the facts and we represent a network, we have to make sure i’s are dotted and i’s are crossed before we provide commentary to that.”
Smith continued mentioning that neither the NBA, Giddey, nor the Oklahoma City Thunder have commented on the situation.
“So getting on Malika Andrews about this I believe is off-kilter and it’s a bit extreme bringing up her parents, her upbringing, her private school, and her education, come on Dez, what if she brought up your stuff,” Smith added. “Come on bro, it’s not necessary.”
Andrews has repeatedly called out Black NBA athletes for their legal situations, including Brandon Miller, who Andrews mentioned was connected to a murder case immediately after he was selected No. 2 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. Miller was not charged in the case.
Andrews has also mentioned the legal situations of Memphis Grizzlies guard JA Morant, Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazulla, and former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, among others, during segments on ESPN.
Bryant apologized to Andrews Wednesday and offered to appear on Smith’s podcast to discuss the matter.
Smith and Adrews have had contentious moments on the air in the past, including
when Udoka was suspended for having an inappropriate relationship with a Celtics staff member while he was dating actress Nia Long.