The Big Lead

Stephen A Smith pays tribute to college basketball legend who is very much alive

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith paid tribute to college basketball coaching legend Nolan Richardson, but there's one major problem. Richardson is still living.

By Josh Sanchez

Stephen A. Smith on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome.
Stephen A. Smith on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Stephen A. Smith is on a generational run of misinformation. The ESPN First Take master debater found himself in a public spat with NBA superstar LeBron James that has spiraled out of control.

LeBron confronted Stephen A. when he was sitting courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game over comments made about his son, Bronny.

Stephen A. then began going on endless rants and went on a media tour to discuss the beef, making it one of the biggest stories in the NBA world. Stephen A. reached a new low when he accused LeBron of skipping Kobe Bryant's memorial service.

MORE: ESPN reporter breaks silence after LeBron James shaded him in Pat McAfee interview

LeBron was there. Stephen A. also tried to diss LeBron for skipping Dwyane Wade's statue unveiling, ignoring the fact that LeBron was in and out of hospitals after Bronny had suffered cardiac arrest at USC.

Fast forward to Friday, March 28, and Stephen A. was at it again. When discussing recruiting in college basketball and John Calipari, Stephen A. said Coach Cal does it better than anyone since "the late great Nolan Richardson."

There's another problem. Nolan Richardson, who reached three Final Fours and won the 1994 NCAA Tournament over Duke with the Razorbacks, is very much alive, and living in El Paso, Texas.

MORE: LeBron James mocks Stephen A. Smith's threat that he would've 'swung' at him

After returning from a commercial break, Stephen A. tried to clear things up by saying he is "fully aware that Nolan Richardson is alive. Trust me. I apologize for that."

Sports personality Stephen A. Smith arrives before the CFP National Championship between the Notre Dame and the Ohio State.
Sports personality Stephen A. Smith arrives before the CFP National Championship between the Notre Dame and the Ohio State. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It's easier to just admit when you are wrong. Understandably so, the internet began roasting Stephen A., giving him his latest L of the year.

Let's see if he can bounce back from this one.

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