Video: Stephen A. Smith Walks off First Take After Speech on Brad Stevens' Promotion
Stephen A. Smith expressed his frustration about the news of Brad Stevens' ascension to the role of Boston Celtics president of basketball operations by momentarily walking off the set during First Take on Wednesday.
Smith was making a larger point about the lack of diversity among the head coaching and front-office ranks across the NBA. He argued that Black NBA players should be more vocal about the issue:
Earlier in the show, Smith said he thought the Celtics had fallen short of expectations, thus raising questions about Stevens' future as head coach. Despite those questions, he received a promotion:
While Smith pointed to Stevens' promotion and Brooklyn Nets' head coach Steve Nash's hiring—despite having no coaching experience—as moments where he thought NBA players could have done more to encourage teams to consider more diverse candidates, players have previously spoken out about hiring more Black coaches and executives and making front offices more diverse.
During a conference call alongside NBA Commissioner Adam Silver last June, Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul called for continued focus on elevating people of color and women in off-court roles.
"The league is predominantly African American players. So you’d like to see more people higher in executive positions," Paul told reporters. "The league has told us, and it’s up to us and the players and union to hold them to that to make sure more people of color and women continue to keep being in these executive roles all throughout the league."
Portland Trail Blazers stars Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were vocal when veteran assistant David Vanterpool was passed over in favor of Chris Finch when the Minnesota Timberwolves replaced Ryan Saunders.
National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts also alluded to a level of frustration that is being echoed behind the scenes.
"These numbers are just disgraceful. It doesn’t make any sense," Roberts said to USA Today's Mark Medina in March.
Medina noted the NBA has seven Black head coaches, 10 Black general managers, one Asian GM and one Latino president of basketball operations.
As Smith noted, this discussion isn't limited to the NBA.
Last year, the NFL changed the Rooney Rule because many believed it was no longer effective in addressing the lack of diversity on the sidelines and in the front office. The same problems have persisted in MLB as well.
