{"id":639481,"date":"2026-03-04T19:50:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T19:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/639481\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T19:50:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T19:50:26","slug":"stephen-a-smith-torches-the-new-orleans-pelicans-yall-are-horrible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/639481\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephen A. Smith torches the New Orleans Pelicans, ‘Y’all are horrible!’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stephen A. Smith <\/a>is never shy about speaking his mind, and his latest clash with the New Orleans Pelicans shows exactly why his voice dominates sports television.<\/p>\n

The ESPN personality unloaded on the franchise after the Pelicans poked fun at him on social media. The team posted a clip on X telling Smith to \u201cstick to solitaire,\u201d highlighting several moments where he struggled while attempting different sports activities.<\/p>\n

Smith responded in the comment section, which triggered another jab from the Pelicans that included an image of Max Kellerman, Smith\u2019s former First Take co-host. That follow-up appeared to strike a nerve.<\/p>\n

Soon after, Smith delivered a blistering message<\/a> aimed directly at the organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy popularity is bigger than anybody on your team outside of Zion\u2026 65 games have been played and you\u2019re still searching for your 20th victory. Yall are horrible! Yall have been trash! That is the reality\u2026. You\u2019re worth about 3.55B right now. That ranks 29th out of 30 teams in the NBA. This is your 24th year in the NBA. You used to be the Hornets, now you\u2019re the Pelicans, that\u2019s 2 nicknames. That\u2019s how many playoff victories you have\u2026 You got the time to clap back at me, at least tell America why. It\u2019s the only thing that can make you relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ouch. Smith clearly had plenty to get off his chest.<\/p>\n

Stephen A Smith GOES OFF of the Pelicans franchise \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n

\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/wRzjzIIzEY<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Hd9zGqkd6P<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The online exchange stems from Smith\u2019s earlier criticism of Pelicans star Zion Williamson.<\/p>\n

During a segment on First Take, Smith pointed to Williamson\u2019s availability as a major concern while still acknowledging his talent.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s played in 259 games in his career, he’s missed 275,\u201d Smith said. \u201cYou’re looking at him right now and you’re saying to yourself, \u2018Of course he’s not a bust,’ because the brother can ball. He’s averaging 21 a game which is down from last year, down from the year before. \u2026When he’s healthy and on the basketball court we know what he can do, it was just about his dedication to being available to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those remarks sparked backlash among Pelicans supporters and eventually prompted the team\u2019s social media response.<\/p>\n

Now the situation has evolved into a public feud between one of sports media\u2019s loudest voices and an NBA franchise that decided to fire back.<\/p>\n