The NBA Finals are supposed to be about basketball at its purest, with a showcase of tactical brilliance and high-stakes drama. But this year, many fans feel like something else is stealing the spotlight.
While the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers battle it out for the title, ESPN’s coverage has drawn fire for becoming the Stephen A. Smith Show. Now, Barstool’s Mark Titus is calling out what he sees as a media failure right when the sport should be front and center.
Mark Titus Blasts ESPN for Stephen A. Smith-Focused NBA Finals Coverage
Titus didn’t mince words when he took aim at ESPN’s decision to center its NBA Finals coverage around Smith. Speaking on Mostly Sports with Mark Titus and Brandon Walker, the former college basketball player and current media personality made his frustration clear.
He was livid, but he was less concerned with Smith’s takes and more about the network’s insistence on putting him front and center during the league’s most sacred moments.
“I would have zero problem with anything Stephen A. Smith is saying or doing if he wasn’t on NBA Finals broadcasts,” Titus said. “The fact that ESPN has appointed him to be one of the voices you hear when you tune into the NBA Finals, that’s the only problem I have.”
This isn’t about personal beef but about presentation. Titus made the argument for millions of fans who genuinely tune in to experience basketball and not the noise or the drama. But Smith’s outsized presence pulls focus away from the game.
“You’re allowed to talk s**t,” he added. “If you try to avoid the Stephen A. b****t, and you’re like, ‘You know what I want to do? I love basketball so I want to watch the two best basketball teams compete for the highest honor in professional basketball.’ If you choose to do that, you’re going to get Stephen A. in your face. And you’re just like, ‘God damn, this guy’s awful.’ I almost forget it because I don’t watch all the other s***t he does.”
Walker, his co-host, even joked, “Stephen A. has appointed himself God? Is he God now?” To which Titus replied without hesitation, “Yes, he’s appointed himself God.”
What irked Titus even more was Smith’s approach to commentary — one he described as unhinged and aggressive.
“It’s not just like him saying it, it’s like him threatening,” Titus said. “He’s threatening everybody at all times, it’s crazy. It’s crazy. It’s motherf–king crazy.”
Smith Faces Growing Criticism Over His On-Air Behavior
Titus’ rant echoes what many fans have expressed for weeks, which is that Smith has crossed the line from being a bold voice to being a distraction. During Game 4, he was caught playing solitaire on his phone while the game was still going on. The moment went viral and drew heavy ridicule from NBA fans.
Smith doubled down in his typical style: “I was doing what the hell I always do,” he said. “And for those out there who don’t like it, kiss my ass.”
Michelle Beadle, a former ESPN colleague of Smith, didn’t mince words when she weighed in on the growing backlash. After the New York Post tweeted a link to Titus calling Smith “awful” and accusing him of ruining the NBA Finals viewing experience, Beadle responded with a sharp agreement: “No lies detected.”
No lies detected.
— Michelle Beadle (@MichelleDBeadle) June 21, 2025
But that wasn’t the only controversy. Earlier, Smith labeled Giannis Antetokounmpo an “underachiever,” prompting strong pushback from Jay Williams and fans alike. They were quick to remind him of Giannis’ MVPs, Defensive Player of the Year, Finals MVP, and an Olympic-level resume.
Likewise, former ESPN host Jason Fitz also weighed in recently, calling out Stephen A. Smith for being “one of the least prepared people I’ve ever worked with in my entire career.”
Speaking on 92.9 ESPN in Memphis, Fitz also criticized Smith following his controversial take on the city, where Smith claimed some NBA stars don’t feel safe. “There’s an element there where cats like Jimmy Butler and others don’t feel it’s the safest environment,” Smith said on First Take.
Stephen A. Smith says NBA players have told him they would feel unsafe playing in a city like Memphis
“Cats like Jimmy Butler and others don’t feel like it’s the safest environment. I’m talking to the local authorities in Memphis”
(h/t @awfulannouncing)pic.twitter.com/qySJhGBofG
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 17, 2025
Fitz pushed back hard, questioning how much time Smith had actually spent learning about Memphis. “How much Memphis do you think he’s actually absorbed?” he asked, accusing Smith of leaning on tired narratives instead of firsthand knowledge.
Like it or not, Smith will be back on air for the championship-deciding Game 7 this Sunday, June 22, at Paycom Center.
