Stephen A Smith
VIDEO: Stephen A Smith Doesn’t Hold Back His Thoughts On OnlyFans Superstar Sophie Rain Making More Money Than Top Athletes
Sophie Rain and Stephen A Smith (Photos via YouTube and Instagram)
This is where we are in this country when Stephen A Smith has to speak out on OnlyFans superstar Sophie Rain making millions.
On his podcast show, Smith had to close out the show while speaking on her bringing in as much as $43 million in total earnings.
Smith noted that she made more money on OnlyFans than many of the NBA’s biggest stars.
To further emphasize his point, Stephen A. Smith put up a graphic showing some of the highest-paid players, including Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Kyrie Irving, Ja Morant, and Zion Williamson.
Smith then added that in 2023, OnlyFans content creators as a whole earned $6.6 billion, which easily eclipsed all salaries in the entire NBA.
He had a graphic for that as well.
Here is the entire segment, in which Stephen A Smith even takes a shot at one guy who has given her almost $5 million.
“I guess he might be the horniest man in America, huh?” Smith said about the man giving away $5 million to her.
Stephen A Smith Looking For New Mega Deal From ESPN
New rumors suggest Stephen A Smith is finalizing a new deal with ESPN and Disney.
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported that the deal would be for $120 million over six years.
Smith told Marchand the reports of a new deal were false.
Smith is almost as recognizable as the ESPN logo, so even if the numbers were wrong, he is most certainly going to get a big deal.
Shaquille O’Neal recalls a heated exchange with Stephen A. Smith: “I’m not a yes man, so you haven’t shown up yet”
O’Neal revealed how a candid confrontation with SAS challenged him to elevate his game.
Shaquille O’Neal, often considered one of the most dominant figures in basketball history, had a rocky start to his NBA career. Before his championship-laden years with the Los Angeles Lakers, the big man faced numerous playoff exits with the Orlando Magic and early frustrations in Hollywood.
During this period, he had a memorable encounter with sports commentator Stephen A. Smith. This moment would become a turning point in his career.
A sharp criticism
O’Neal’s introduction to the ESPN analyst wasn’t exactly friendly. According to the Hall of Famer, their first meeting quickly became a confrontation. “The Diesel” was fresh off a string of playoff disappointments at the time.
In his rookie season, 1992-1993, the legendary center and the Magic fell short of making the postseason. The following year, they were swept in the first round by the Indiana Pacers. By 1995, Orlando had made it to the NBA Finals but was decisively beaten by the Houston Rockets in a four-game sweep.
When the 7’1″ center encountered Smith for the first time, the outspoken journalist didn’t hold back.
“The first time we met, I had a problem with what you said,” O’Neal said. “You said, ‘Shaq, you are a great player, but you haven’t stepped up yet… I cornered you, and we got into a little argument, and you said, ‘Shaq, I love you; you are the most dominant big guy in the world, but you keep getting swept; you keep getting swept; you haven’t stepped up yet.”
Fighting through criticism
By the late 90s, the big man had moved to the Lakers but continued to face postseason frustrations. In the 1998 playoffs, the team suffered a crushing sweep at the hands of the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Finals. For a player of Shaq’s stature, losing on the biggest stages became a source of motivation.
Those criticisms pushed the seven-footer further, pointing out the recurring playoff sweeps that marred his resume. The analyst’s bluntness wasn’t intended to humiliate but rather to challenge—something the 15-time All-Star appreciates many years later.
“I uplift my brothers by telling them the truth. I’m not a yes man, so you haven’t shown up yet. You gotta win the championship. All that making it to the finals, you are supposed to make it to the finals, but you are supposed to win,” O’Neal continued.
The narrative shifted when No. 34 finally broke through with the Lakers in the 1999-2000 season. Partnering with Kobe Bryant, the former MVP led the Lakers to their first title since 1988, cementing his place as one of the game’s greatest.
Over the next two seasons, he and Kobe would lead the team to an iconic three-peat, silencing critics. Looking back, the encounter with Smith is a testament to the value of tough love that propelled him to step up and win.
