Stephen A. SmithStephen A. Smith (Photo via Twitter)
Stephen A. Smith has been furiously bold in recent times for his remarks on Tyrese Haliburton and others. And it seems like his own words are eating him up.

Recently, Smith found himself in a bit of a pickle during Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Finals. A photo shared by a Pacers fan captured him looking less like a sports commentator. The ESPN analyst looked more like someone deep into a game of Solitaire on his phone.

In the viral photo, Stephen A. Smith was playing Solitaire on his phone while watching the game.

While he lets none of it pass through his eyes, had it been done by someone else, the fans on social media let him know just that.

After the photo was shared, fans are calling him out for not focusing on the game. One thing is Smith might be multitasking, but it doesn’t suit up well with someone who is calling such an important game.

Stephen A. Smith Caught In An Awkward Situation During ESPN’s First Take

Molly Qerim made an effort to support Stephen A. Smith during a mistake that occurred on-air; however, he chose not to accept her assistanceStephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim (Image Credit: @awfulannouncing/X)
While this incident came recently during the 2025 NBA Finals Game 4, Stephen A. Smith fumbled during his studio segment as well.

During a recent episode of ESPN’s First Take, a humorous incident occurred involving Stephen A. and his laptop. While he was discussing Kevin Durant’s future with the Phoenix Suns, cameras were capturing him from multiple angles.

Molly Qerim noticed that the camera had unintentionally captured Smith’s laptop screen and urged him to shut it, warning that viewers could see his text messages.

Despite her insistence, Smith was reluctant to comply and insisted “that’s not going to happen.” 

However, it only took him a couple of minutes to understand why Molly was suggesting he put that screen down. Soon after, the whole crew burst into laughter.

Houston Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his illegal hit to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the ensuing brawl between the teams in a lengthy statement on social media.  

Al-Shaair’s statement comes as his three-game suspension as a result of the incident has ended and he is slated to return to the field for the Texans on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

On December 1, an Al-Shaair hit to the head of a sliding and defenseless Lawrence caused chaos in Jacksonville. The defensive back needed to be restrained by several coaches and Lawrence has not played since taking the barbaric contact.

‘While so many jumped at the first opportunity to hop on the false narrative – that l’m a dirty player or bad person – the messages from all who stood by me were the only things keeping me mentally afloat during a time of isolation,’ Al-Shaair said on social media.

‘I’ve learned so much from this entire experience. Seeing myself on video – letting my emotions get the best of me to the point where I completely lost it – was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment for me.’

‘I’ve had to earn everything in my life. I never want to allow anyone to get me to a point where I jeopardize everything that I’ve worked all my life to obtain. That was not the way I want to represent myself or my family and I will continue to learn and grow from that moment.’

Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence
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Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence

The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence
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The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence

Al-Shaair said during his three-game ban, he met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league executives for the first time, taking issue with how he was characterized in the official announcement of his suspension.

The defender said he thought his character and integrity were ‘unjustifiably smeared’ in the release but the meeting with Goodell and others was ‘productive’ and gave him hope it would not happen again.

‘In that conversation – man-to-man – I owned and acknowledged that my actions following my ejection were careless and, in that moment, I didn’t think about the responsibility I have been blessed with to represent the shield,’ Al-Shaair continued.

‘I also stated that the letter, and specifically the language used in the letter, was equally as careless and conveyed that the context of the words used were not a reflection of my character, nor my career, as I have not been warned multiple times for my play on the field.’

Al-Shaair’s hit on Lawrence was not the only controversial incident he was involved in this season.

During the Texans’ game against the Bears in September, he punched Roschon Johnson, who wasn’t even in the game at the time of another sideline confrontation.

Al-Shaair ended his statement by saying his view is that everyone in the league office and on the field are on the same team to represent the NFL in the best nature possible, something he failed to do earlier this month.

‘Lastly, I’ll say that this world is full of negative people who can’t wait to tear you down, but if you move with love and compassion, the seeds of good you planted in others’ lives can grow into the very tree that shades you with comfort and compassion when you need it most,’ Al-Shaair concluded.

‘I am a man of God, I am a leader, a warrior and a lover. I am also a hell of a football player and I’m grateful to be back doing what I love.’