“Are you white? Brothers talk like that”: Stephen A. Smith slams Gilbert Arenas for questioning Rich Paul about ‘f**k out of my face’ comments

Over the last month, Stephen A. Smith and Rich Paul have been in a war of words. However, the longtime NBA analysts recently pointed his anger at a former player.

It all began when Stephen A. Smith went on Paul George's podcast and opened up on a conversation he had with Rich Paul. Following a disagreement about where LeBron James sits in the all time debate, Stephen A. emphatically told Paul that he can't debate him on that anymore.

A few weeks later, Paul went on Gilbert Arenas' podcast and said that the conversation was fabricated. After seeing the interview, Stephen A. is mad at Arenas and his co-hosts for asking Paul such direct questions.

"Rich Paul goes on there and somebody said to him, did Stephen A say to you, shut the F up or whatever the case may be? Which, damn it, I did. And he denied it. But what I'm saying is, it's not a big deal," Smith said.

"We were talking in jest amongst brothers. I mean, get that out of my face. It was common in jest as we're joking around, talking to each other. Y'all going to sit up there and go on a podcast and (ask) did Stephen A really say that. I mean, are you white?"

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Rich Paul softens Stephen A. Smith's comments about LeBron James

When Stephen A. Smith described the encounter, he said that he had told Rich Paul to ge the f*** out of his face at the end. However, LeBron James' agent had a different version of the encounter.

On Gilbert Arenas' podcast, Paul was quick to deny that Stephen A. had spoken to him in that manner. He also feels he's credible enough to be having conversations about why should James be seen as the best player in NBA history.

"Anbody in the world know me he not gonna say that to me," Paul said. "I can debate all day long. There's no such thing as get the f*** out my face, no."

Based on the comments from both sides, it's clear that there will never be a clear answer. Stephen A. has now said it twice on the record, before and after Paul denied the claim. They both agree that the conversation happened, but the full extent of it remains hazy.

Despite all the attention these clips have gotten, neither side is going to give in. Stephen A. and Rich Paul are strong-willed individuals, and they fully intend on standing their ground.