"I am always winning": Stephen A. Smith presents unbeatable strategy while addressing Marcellus Wiley's 'hypocrite' comments

Fiery sports TV personality Stephen A. Smith recently said that where he is right now in his career is a result of the tack he has chosen to take towards success. This, as he addressed comments hurled his way by fellow sportscaster and former professional football player Marcellus Wiley, calling Smith a “hypocrite.”

The controversy arose when Wiley defended Max Kellerman, Smith’s former partner on ESPN’s “First Take.” Smith recently opened up that his relationship with Kellerman was not the most ideal and the partnership was not going anywhere, leading to Kellerman leaving the show in 2022 and being laid off by the network this year.

On his “More To It” podcast, Wiley, who played 10 years in the NFL, said that it was hypocritical of Smith to belittle Kellerman and yet be sympathetic to what happened to his current TV partner, Shannon Sharpe, who experienced the same while with ‘Undisputed’ on FS1.

In the process, he alluded that Smith was “threatened” by the intelligence of Kellerman and looked for ways to edge the latter out.

Responding to Wiley’s comments, Smith said on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” that Wiley was wrong to say he was threatened when in fact, he learned a lot from his time with Kellerman, and it was the same approach he has taken throughout his career.

Stephen A. Smith said:

‘I’ve stayed in my position. I’m not a liar, look at my book, Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes. It’s all in there, just go look … I ain’t scared of nobody, not when it comes to intellect. You know why I’m not scared? Because either I just as smart, if not smarter, or I learn from their intelligence and it makes me more intelligent. So I am always winning.”

Check out what Stephen A. Smith had to say below, beginning at the 3:33 mark:

While disappointed by Wiley’s comments, Smith said he still respects the former NFL player and wished him all the best moving forward.

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Stephen A. Smith likes Sacramento Kings in the upcoming NBA season

ESPN sports analyst Stephen A. Smith is high on the chances of the Sacramento Kings in the upcoming NBA season and sees the team making a deeper run in the lead of All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox.

In the lead-up to the new season, Smith mentioned the Kings among the teams to watch out for, along with the defending champions Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors.

He considers Sacramento as the biggest sleeper out West heading into the new NBA year, saying (via X):

"For me personally, even though they got knocked out in the first round, the team I look at is the Sacramento Kings. De'Aaron Fox is that dude y'all."

The Kings finished last season third in the Western Conference with a 48-34 record, led by All-Stars Fox and Domantas Sabonis. They, however, exited in the first round of the playoffs in seven hard-fought games to the Golden State Warriors.