"I'll be back in two to five minutes" - Michael Beasley recalls how he found out that his mother worked as a stripper

During his recent appearance on the “All the Smoke” podcast, Michael Beasley made another stunning revelation that shocked hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.

Beasley has already told the story of how his mother, the late Fatima Smith, worked three jobs to raise her kids as a single parent. When Jackson said his mom worked a graveyard shift to support her family, Beasley revealed that his mother had a different third job.

“But my mother, she ain’t working like that. She was in the club. I ain’t gonna say my mother was a stripper,”admitted Beasley.

When Jackson and Barnes started laughing, their guest asked, “So you want me to be real with you or not?”

Beasley always wondered

According to Beasley, he first got the inclination of what his mother was doing in the club when he tried to call her there once to report something his brother Diamond did at home. But the guy who answered the phone told him to call back in about two to five minutes because she was still working.

Beasley said he wondered what his mom was doing that she could not be disturbed to take a call from her son. He let the incident pass, but it always stuck in his mind.

Fast forward to when he was in the NBA, Beasley said he went to Miami’s famed Tootsie’s Cabaret and tried to “take home” a girl, likely a stripper. He recalled telling her to “get dressed,” to which she replied, “Yo, I’ll be back in two to five minutes.” That statement rang a bell, and right away, he said he picked up his mobile phone and called his mom.

“Bro, you got something to tell me? That’s when I put together, like, you know,” added Beasley. “My mother told me she was a bouncer. I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ But no, my mother worked hard. She just made sure we ain’t won for s–t. I just remember that.”

Beasley took her mom to watch his Lakers play in D.C.

Beasley never forgot his mom’s sacrifices for her kids. And so even when he was struggling to make the NBA teams late in his career, he sacrificed basketball just to be with her when she got sick with cancer.

While playing for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2018-19 NBA season, Beasley took a leave of absence to take care of an ailing Ms. Smith. He took her to watch his team play the Washington Wizards in D.C., where she stayed during her final days.

“I couldn’t imagine going through it, especially with the relationship I have with my mother,” said former Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma. “I know he has the same. We’re all here for him, giving him a helping hand for whatever he has. It was just great to see him.”

Later that month, Beasley’s mom passed away. And although they had their issues — Michael said Fatima stole money from him — they were able to reconcile before she passed. In her last days, Beasley was there for her, just as she had always been there for her children when they were young.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

“I’ll be back in two to five minutes” – Michael Beasley recalls how he found out that his mother worked as a stripper

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