Stephen A. Smith shared a concerning report about Lonzo Ball’s NBA future during Tuesday’s episode of First Take, suggesting he didn’t think the 25-year-old would “ever be the same.”
Smith claims his sources told him that Ball even struggles to “get up from the sitting position” due to the knee injuries which have plagued the Bulls guard thus far into his career.
After hearing the comments Smith spewed on ESPN on Tuesday, Ball issued a response on social media, taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, in order to clear the air and even call out the analyst.
Ball tagged Smith in an X video, for which the caption read, “@stephenasmith come to the actual source next time. I’m not hard to reach.”
In the video, Ball sounded off on the ESPN analyst and questioned who his sources were.
@stephenasmith come to the actual source next time. I’m not hard to reach pic.twitter.com/88xyoB7LTf
— Lonzo Ball (@ZO2_) August 22, 2023
“Stephen A., who are your sources, bro?” asked Ball while repeatedly standing from a seated position using his left leg. “Please tell me who your sources are. Come on man. Come on man, you gotta stop yapping. And I actually like you, man! And I don’t even know you like that, but I like you. I’m coming back, man. Come on!”
Ball missed the entire 2022–23 season after undergoing surgery on his left knee. He’s not expected to feature for Chicago during the 2023–24 season either, while recovering from the injury.
Ball isn’t the only athlete to take issue with some comments from Smith this week. On Monday, Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs took to social media to dispute Smith’s claims that he wanted out of Buffalo, calling them “100% not true.”
