NBA world erupts over $154m commentator’s phone screen lie

A polarising American commentator has been called out by fans and a star player after he went viral for all the wrong reasons.

Stephen A. Smith may not have played his cards right.

The polarising ESPN personality is being criticised for playing the popular card game Solitaire during the Thunder’s 111-104 road win over the Pacers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday, with NBA star Kevin Durant joining in on the mocking.

Watch every game of The NBA Finals LIVE with ESPN on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

The NY Post reports Durant posted the image of Smith playing the game while at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to his Instagram story.

“CMON STEVE,” Durant wrote on the bottom of the photo.

Smith maintained he only turned to the mobile version of the game during a stoppage in play in response to a quote tweet from popular NBA aggregator on X @LegionHoops showing him playing cards.

“Yep! That’s me. Who would’ve thought ….I can multi-task. Especially during TIMEOUTS!” Smith wrote in a quote tweet of the post.

“Hope y’all are enjoying the NBA Finals. This is going 7 games now, peeps!”

However, not everyone was buying that response.

The community note from X on Smith’s post declared he was fabricating his story and referenced a video showing Smith playing the game during in-game action, which you can see above.

“Stephen A. Is lying. This photo was taken during gameplay, NOT during a time-out,” the community note claims.

Stephen A. Smith was spotted playing solitaire. Photo: X.

Kevin Durant called him out. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

The video linked in the post came from user @feellikedrew, who posted a video showing the Thunder going for a basket before cutting to Smith with the game on his phone.

The end of the clip showed the Pacers running a play.

“Bro talks about knowing ball,” the caption read. “He’s playing solitaire during the NBA finals.”

Smith attempted to get the last laugh by posting just after midnight a photo showing a Solitaire hand with an inset image from when the Pacers led, 87-80, with 11:36 remaining in the game.

The Thunder outscored the Pacers, 12-1, in the final three minutes to even the series at 2-2.

Pacers fans and Durant are upset with the controversial Smith for comments he’s made.

Smith would not classify Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton as a superstar, and he fired back at him after the guard — who didn’t name Smith specifically — chirped at NBA pundits after pulling the Game 3 upset.

Stephen A. Smith has been in the thick of controversy. Photo: Tim Heitman/Getty Images.

“Oh, by the way, just in case he was talking about me. My brother, I’m not going away,” Smith said on “First Take” on Thursday. “I’m going to be here for a while … Players far more accomplished and far more superior have made their efforts trying to call me out. How has that worked out?”

The feud between Durant and Smith goes back years, and the NBA star called him out in April for being too distracted to digest enough basketball after Smith mocked his leadership.

“Steve is trying to run for president, u think he actually paid attention to a struggling team??” Durant said in reference to the Suns. “It’s called propaganda.”

In March, ESPN and Smith agreed to a new five-year contract at the network worth $100 million (A$154 million).

The new deal makes him the third highest paid sports personality in America behind Charles Barkley and Tom Brady.

Earlier this year, Smith was confronted by LeBron James in a heated courtside exchange after the commentator called out the Lakers star for comments about his son, fringe Lakers player Bronny James.

- This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as NBA world erupts over $154m commentator’s phone screen lie