'Obama’s gonna smoke me!' Stephen A. Smith breaks down potential 1v1 against Barack Obama

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Joseph Varghese | Last updated 3/7/24

Stephen A. Smith, the famed ESPN analyst, has a history of playing college basketball. He may not have had an illustrious career on the hardwood floor, but he has made a name for himself on TV. Smith’s time on the basketball court has been debated and trolled by many. However, he was asked to give his opinion if he went 1v1 against another basketball fan, former President Barack Obama.

Stephen A. Smith was speaking on his show, The Stephen A. Smith Show, where he was taking questions from the public. A person asked him how would he fare if he went up against former President of the United States, Barack Obama in a 1v1 basketball match. Smith answered;

Well, that depends, if it's Stephen A right now, I'm gonna tell you that Obama's gonna smoke me cause I got bad knees. But just make sure my knees are healthy and give me a week, I'll take him out, I'll beat Obama, I would say 21-7. It would be a romp.

Smith mentioned that he loves Obama and his family and has nothing but respect for what they stand for. However, in the match, if he’s healthy, he’ll take Obama out.

President Obama is a known basketball aficionado. Time and again he has been seen courtside as well as having an appreciation for basketball players. Stephen A. Smith played college basketball on a scholarship. However, he did not sustain that after his knee blew out. This led Smith to give up his basketball hopes and move to the media.

Both Smith and Obama are friends and respect each other. Which is why, the question was asked who would win a 1v1. Naturally, Smith would say he would win, but no one has a clue how President Obama would react to that.

Everyone trolls Stephen A. Smith’s relationship with basketball

Stephen A. Smith used to play basketball for Winston-Salem State University during his collegiate days. During his time there, he played 9 games before his career-ending knee injury. But what made his compatriots and fans troll the ESPN analyst is his points-per-game average. Smith averaged 1.5 points in his college career.

.@BarackObama https://t.co/9rKwTwep8n pic.twitter.com/ByOUvmYt4n
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 6, 2024

This led colleague Malika Andrews and NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley to troll Smith for averaging such a number. The New Orleans Pelicans used that stat line to get back at Smith for calling out superstar Zion Williamson.

It seems that all the questions people ask Stephen A. Smith about playing basketball stem from those stats. This is why this question put him square against Barack Obama, who is also a casual player. But if it had to happen in reality, would be a match people would pay to watch.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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