Stephen A. Says 'White Folks' Are Not Allowed To Comment On His Racially Charged Report About JJ Redick

Stephen A. Smith has a message for white folks: shut up and listen.

Last week, Smith shamed the Lakers for hiring JJ Redick and cited sources saying black coaches were "upset" that LeBron James started a podcast with a white co-host while his black head coach, Darvin Ham, was perceived to be on the hot seat.

Smith addressed criticism of his report Monday:

"Black coaches called a black commentator to complain about a black superstar doing a podcast while his black head coach was on the hot seat before he ultimately lost the damn job," Smith said. "What does that have to do with white folks? Some things are none of your damn business."

A couple of points:

First, Smith's report doesn't only involve black people. It primarily involves Redick, a white man. 

Second, since when are white people not permitted to comment on topics that involve black players and coaches? Does that mean Smith and his almost exclusively black cast on "First Take" were not allowed to comment on the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick drama?

Third, LeBron started a podcast with Redick in March – well before Ham was on the hot seat. LeBron and Redick are friends. 

Fourth, Smith's report was devious. It was a tool to undermine Redick's credibility as a product of white privilege. Baseless accusations of such should be challenged. And that's what happened.

The "white folks" Smith references are ESPN host Pat McAfee and Fox Sports Radio host Doug Gottlieb.

McAfee, without name-dropping, criticized Smith's coverage of Redick on Friday:

"I don’t appreciate or like how JJ Redick has been talked about by a lot of people who have been coworkers of JJ Redick. And I am not somebody who is tight with JJ Redick."

Gottlieb named Smith by name:

"Let me state this really carefully, Stephen A. Smith is a race-baiter. He is disgraceful saying that on national TV. Disgraceful. JJ Redick and LeBron James are clearly friends. They have a relationship. They have mutual respect for one another. The only one who’s making it out to be a racial thing is Stephen A. Smith. He is creating this. This is honestly pure evil. That’s what bad people do."

Granted, Smith's rebuttal Monday seemed aimed more toward Gottlieb than McAfee.

"It was a black on black thing, but you’ve got other folks who will remain nameless working for other networks with their irrelevant-ass selves popping their junk," Smith said. 

"And the fact of the matter is it has absolutely positively nothing to do with that. It’s about that the fact that this situation ended up looking the way that it looks optically."

Stephen A. has ramped up his racial bigotry of late while he negotiates a new contract with ESPN. The race card is mighty powerful when negotiating with a corporation as beholden to public perception as Disney.

The threat of creating the narrative that ESPN didn't pay me because I am a black man who talked about racism on television is the most valuable asset Smith has in terms of leverage. 

To Smith, Redick is just a prop in his quest for a $25 million per year contract. At ESPN, black privilege is real and Stephen A. intends to use his. 

In fact, he just exhibited his privilege by telling white folks they are not allowed to comment on his racially charged reporting about a white coach.