The history of sports has been littered with feuds between athletes and the press. Whether it was former New York Met Bobby Bonilla threatening to fight a reporter outside a locker room, or the infamous Jim Rome-Jim Everett "fight" (to this day I still think that was staged) the relationships between the stars who play the sport vs. the ones who cover it to make a living has always had this various shades of grey that escalate to the surface whenever someone feels they have been misquoted, or in the case of ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, called a straight-up liar.
Now, I don't know Mr. Smith personally, but I listen to his show 'First Take' as well as his show on Mad Dog Radio Sirius XM on a daily basis. He has been known to express his statements with a wide range of emotions, whether it's on the performance of athletes or on social issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement. He doesn't shy away from saying what he feels is on his mind. However, I believe that what he said on today's episode of 'First Take' crossed a barrier from which it may be challenging to recover.
By now we've all heard the rhetoric of his report that sources close to Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant mention that at the end of this upcoming NBA season he was "considering" signing as a free agent in Los Angeles as his preferred destination, along with Miami and Washington DC. Durant responded by saying that none of his friends and family spoke to Smith, and closed it by saying he was a liar. Smith, who has had feuds with NBA stars before, most notably Stephon Marbury during his days with the New York Knicks, didn't take too kindly to what was said and responded thusly...
Let's look at this from three points of view: Durant, Smith, and then the proper way to respond. Kevin Durant has profoundly expressed his faith in Jesus Christ for years, and was lauded by many for how he carried himself on and off the court for athletic brilliance as well as being a stand-up guy. Granted, he may have been perturbed at what was mentioned, but to go out and brand Mr. Smith as 'he's lying' is to question the man's credibility, which is the foundation for his career as a journalist. It's one thing to question a statement, but what Durant said went further than that, and in essence went after the integrity of Smith's work. He is engaging himself in a battle with a presence that he just can't win, go back to what happened during All-Star Weekend earlier this year. His expletive-laced rant at the media regarding his former coach Scott Brooks' job status was not the proper way to handle the situation. If we claim Christ as the head of our lives, then our speech should not be coarse to the point where it makes non-believers question us. A simple prepared statement would've prevented this issue from escalating.
Now to Mr. Smith. There is a fine line between professionalism and personal accountability, and making a statement to challenge KD was unprofessional at worst. I know he has also in the past claimed a relationship with Christ as well, and even praised Durant's character on the show, yet he apparently has forgotten what the true term 'enemy' really means. It is described as someone who opposes your lifestyle, and while certain temptations (money, power, success) can be viewed as the opposition, our true enemy is Satan. Smith was wrong in taking this approach, and the Bible tells us to strive to live in brotherly love with one another. Durant isn't his enemy, just a person that sees things from a different point of view.
When two people disagree and claim Christ as the center of their lives, they should look to solve it internally, not through the blogosphere or on national television. It creates unnecessary divisions and worse, affects our witness. I pray that they will come together in private and resolve this manner quickly. Also, we must be careful who we call our enemies. We don't wrestle flesh and blood, and there's nothing more that our true enemy would love nothing more than to let a simple misunderstanding create a lifetime of schisms.
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