Imagine you are ESPN senior writer Baxter Holmes. Your two-year investigation into the dysfunction of the Lakers just went live, featuring dozens of interviews with high-level league executives and team staffers. The piece, which probably took thousands of hours to put together, paints the definitive portrait of a damaged organization that was rife with infighting and intimidation under Magic Johnson's leadership.
Then, your company's biggest star obliterates the story on television, essentially calling it "fake news" in his trademark high-pitched squeal. Stephen A. Smith's histrionic defense of his buddy Magic, and not Holmes' dogged reporting, is the biggest news of the day emanating from Bristol, Conn.
How shameful.
"I am forced to address yet the latest story about the dysfunctional franchise known as the Los Angeles Lakers. I'm not happy about it one bit. I got better things to do with my damn time — better things to do," Smith yelled on ESPN Tuesday. "A story comes out, Baxter Holmes, reporter, senior writer on the NBA for ESPN — by the way, does an outstanding job, and did an outstanding job with this story. There's nothing missing here. But he wrote this big expose, working on it for two years. And there's a lot to deduce from it because we don't want to take away from his work. He did his job. Do I like the fact that I have to deal with it today? Hell no. I'm quite annoyed by it. That's neither here nor there. I'm a big boy. I can take it."
Ladies and gentlemen, The GOAT @stephenasmith went OFF today about Earvin Magic Johnson and the Lakers -- NEW HEAT -- pic.twitter.com/G4ZTdnIjQN
— Parakeet Cortes (@Ryan_Cortes) May 28, 2019Smith's self-portrayal as some sort of victim in the ordeal is bizarre, until you hear what he says next. It's apparent Smith views himself as an extension of the Magic-LeBron-Rich Paul camp, given how vociferously he surfaces their spin.
As the New York Times' Sopan Deb points out in an eye-opening Twitter thread, Smith systemically relays pro-Magic talking points on various ESPN platforms throughout the day, culminating in Johnson getting the floor himself. First up: debunking the allegation, which was made by "three Lakers sources familiar with team travel details," that Paul regularly rode on the Lakers' chart plane this season –– an obvious breach of space between an agent and his clients' team.
"Rich Paul said, 'Stephen A, I flew on the team plane once. I was on the East Coast. I was going to the West Coast,'" Smith explained. "They said, 'Do you need a ride?' And they gave me a ride. That's the only time I was ever on the Lakers' plane.'"
On a "SportsCenter" special that night, Magic tells the same plane story. He's given nearly five uninterrupted minutes to defend himself against the story's charges, including accusations of bullying.
Neither Smith nor Michael Wilbon, a once-respected serious sports journalist, offer any pushback in defense of their colleague.
"Do you think Jeanie Buss would allow me to abuse the employees?," Magic asked. "If that were the case, she would've called me in. … It never happened. I'm a person who brings everybody together –– uplift the employees. I don't abuse the employees; I never will. That's not what I'm about."
Part 1 of the segment here: pic.twitter.com/2zSyyYbR5S
— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) May 29, 2019The most cringeworthy part of the obsequious exchange comes at the end, when Wilbon pleads with Magic about just how not-lazy he is. "I missed the lazy part on Sunday when you were calling and getting me up earlier, saying, 'Can we get to the studio,' when you had already had meetings," Wilbon said. "I'm sorry I missed that part."
Well done. A White House staffer called on by the President to publicly comment on the President's temperament couldn't have done any better.
Part 2: pic.twitter.com/XoGiTwDlMK
— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) May 29, 2019It's fine if ESPN wants to give its former employee Magic Johnson a chance to respond to damning allegations against him. But Holmes' side should've been represented. His work deserved better treatment than the steamrolling it received.
