Stephen A. Smith didn't stay silent for too long after Charles Berkley avoided ESPN, particularly Kendrick Perkins.
Perkins responded to a kip about him, but Smith felt the need to jump into the fight too. He responded to Berkley's criticism in a social media post.
“Johak, stop BS with 'Y'all'. Attach your name to it,” Smith wrote. “I know @cavs is talking about being the No. 1 threat to @celtics. If you come here, there are people waiting to call you an idiot. PS I know I love YA. See y'all right away. Yo @thejetontntnt…. Free throw from worker 😀. I love everything.”
As part of ESPN's deal with the NBA, Turner has licensed his beloved studio show, “Inside the NBA,” to a global leader from next season.
The pot shot by Berkley on Thursday night certainly sets something interesting and dynamic ahead of that move.
Berkley originally said in the air on Thursday night that Perkins was a “fool” and a “fool” who the Lakers said they had saved the NBA.
“He said, the Lakers – first of all, the Lakers had two big weeks,” Berkley said. “He said the Lakers saved the NBA season, because they're stupid in other networks. This is going to work for next year. Tell me everything. And first of all, I want all the smoke. When I walk by a graveyard or something, I don't whip.”
He continued to criticize ESPN for ignoring talented teams like Oklahoma City and Cleveland to cover the Lakers and Warriors.
“Don't get me wrong. If I found out I was wrong, I had no problem with that, but it's all because it's all stupid, so I'm talking about all the Lakers and Warriors,” he added. “But that's because you're an idiot on other networks. Next year, we're going to be a fool when we're working on that network, but Oklahoma City and the Cavs have been bowling for six months. We're talking about a two-week team.”
Barkley also collected other criticisms Perkins fired back on social mediacalling the former NBA the great “older.”
“If he sees idiots or fools in person, make sure he maintains the same energy,” Perkins posted. “If he wants, he can come and play with me and talk to his ass like the numbers in the house. Directly from the 409 homeboy, we ban anything and fade everything.”
