Forget about the Houston Rockets or San Antonio Spurs, the New Orleans Pelicans just met their most formidable foe in Stephen A. Smith.

Earlier this week, Pelicans star Zion Williamson was on ESPN’s NBA Today and admitted some of the criticism he’s received throughout his career, particularly about his weight and effort has negatively impacted him. Smith heard Williamson and responded with the ultimate backhanded compliment, crediting the 25-year-old for getting in shape this season, while still mocking him for his past battles with food.

“You got people that are alcoholics, you got people that are drug addicts and stuff like that. What was Zion’s problem? Food! Food addict!” – Stephen A. Smith responds to Zion Williamson pic.twitter.com/5TdvA4FZPR

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 3, 2026

“People that called up and encouraged us to get in his ass because of some of the things that he was doing. You got people that are alcoholics, you got people that are drug addicts and stuff like that. What was Zion’s problem? Food! Food addict!” Smith ranted before claiming Williamson has been caught hiding food under his bed.

This isn’t the first time Smith has mocked Williamson, he’s made a habit out of fat-shaming the former No. 1 pick in recent years. So, when the Pelicans saw Smith go after their best player again, their social media team was primed with a response.

Stick to solitaire Stephen pic.twitter.com/1hBtJThJdx

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 3, 2026

Smith saw the Pelicans’ response, and he took that personally, vowing to fire back Wednesday morning on First Take. And after a lengthy, rather tempered response featuring Smith touting himself as the American dream for everything he’s been able to overcome in life, he eventually got to ripping the Pelicans’ social media team.

The response you’ve been waiting for 👀

—@stephenasmith responds to the Pelicans social media video of him ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/YBbSSdr9tX

— First Take (@FirstTake) March 4, 2026

“You’ve never been to a Conference Finals in the franchise’s history…but you got the time to clap back at me. Well, if you’re gonna do that, at least tell America why? It’s the only thing that can make you relevant,” Smith fired back. “I’m talking strictly to your social media department and their pathetic asses. Could you find a basketball reason to be relevant? Could you find a basketball reason to remind us why you should exist? Could you find a basketball reason to remind us why we should care?

“Could you find a basketball reason to justify charging patrons in the city of New Orleans who you should be giving refunds to because of the product that y’all have put on the floor…but you got an attitude with me and you want to troll me? Feel free. Because I’m gonna remind you again, I’m 58. I look pretty good, I feel even better, and I can shoot. But I don’t get paid to do that, I get paid to do this.”

After teasing a feud with the Pelicans several times before the rant, Smith didn’t quite deliver. Yes, he responded, but it lacked the vitriol we expected. Maybe it’s because Smith repeated how much respect he has for Pelicans EVP of basketball operations Joe Dumars throughout his rebuttal and decided to temper his rant.

But Smith is right, the Pelicans have given ESPN and First Take little reason to pay them much attention in recent years. Which is why their social media team deserves credit. Because even with a 19-44 record, they managed to get a 10-minute rant out of Smith in March. Stoop low and Smith will stoop lower.