On his YouTube channel and SiriusXM show, Stephen A. Smith opened his monologue not with basketball or football, but with raw reflections on the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Known for his fiery sports takes, Stephen A. shifted into somber territory, calling the shooting “a horrific thing to see” and blasting those who mocked the conservative activist’s death online.
“A Man, a Husband, a Father”
Stephen A. recounted the tragedy with blunt detail. “We saw this man struck by a bullet in his neck. We saw blood gushing out immediately. And it didn’t take long before he was pronounced dead at the age of 31.”
What resonated most for him wasn’t politics, but the family Kirk left behind. “He had two children younger than five years of age. Both were in attendance and saw their father get gunned down. He had a wife who saw her husband get gunned down. That’s what sticks with me.”
For Stephen A., this wasn’t about left or right, it was about human decency. “I don’t care what his political beliefs were. I care about the fact that a man was gunned down in front of his family. And then I’m going online and I’m seeing people celebrating it. Shame. Shame on you.”
Sports as Common Ground
The longtime ESPN host leaned into what sports represents at moments like this: unity in the face of division. “When you wear the same uniform as somebody else, when you play in the same league, it reminds us all that we’re God’s children. Sports brings us together when nothing else does.”
He pointed to Lambeau Field as an example: “Tonight, when the Packers host the Commanders, 60,000-plus will be there. Millions will be watching. They’ll be different colors, different backgrounds — and none of that will matter. That’s what sports does.”
Just as NBA arenas bring together fans of all backgrounds to cheer or boo side by side, Stephen A. argued that sports provides the model of togetherness society desperately needs. “The vitriol and the evil, it ain’t the many, it’s the few. Sports reminds us that we can still come together.”
“Most of Us Are Better Than That”
Smith praised the New York Yankees for holding a moment of silence for Kirk, noting that true respect transcends politics. “If you’re a left-winger instead of a right-winger, you might not have liked that. You’re missing the point. This man was shot and killed in front of his wife and children. That’s all that matters.”
He closed his remarks with a call for humanity over hatred. “Someone forgot about that yesterday, murdering Charlie Kirk. Others forgot about it by parading online and celebrating an evil, vile occurrence. Most of us are better than that. Let’s show it. And let’s use sports to do it, because sports usually comes to the rescue after all.”
