IF anyone knows how to step into the shoes of First Take’s Stephen A. Smith, it’s Chris “Mad Dog” Russo.
Russo joined First Take as a guest analyst in 2022, appearing weekly alongside hosts Smith and Molly Qerim since then.
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And as evident from Russo’s most recent appearance on ESPN’s popular sports talk show, he knows exactly which buttons to push to get under Smith’s skin.
Russo joined the crowd of social media users, as well as Qerim, in mocking Smith for his dramatic entrances in last season’s NBA Playoff games.
He went so far as to call them “the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Russo later appeared in The Dan Patrick Showwhere he was asked how to irritate Smith.
“If I get into anything with the NBA, historically, that’s what pisses him off,” Russo explained.
“He attacked me yesterday with the top five duos of all time and brought in (Bob) Cousy and Sam Jones, and I think he did that for me.
“But he left (Jerry) West and (Gail) Goodrich out — the year they won 39 in a row, had 69 wins and killed teams in the postseason, they were both unbelievable.
“And I think he was a little irritated.”
Later, Russo recalled the aforementioned mockery of Smith’s arrivals at NBA games.
“Yesterday, I had a little fun with him when he walked into the gym in these nice suits, like he was about to be a player and score 35 points. [in] a ball game,” he said.
“He loves it when you have fun with it.
“But I think when I have fun playing the historian and I go back to the old NBA days, I think that’s where he can get a little irritated.”
It’s not just Smith that Russo likes to tease on air.
That honor also goes to his former ESPN colleague JJ Redick.
Russo’s habit of delving into historical archives irked the former NBA star “terribly.”
Stephen A. Smith’s journey through the media
STEPHEN A. Smith is now the face of ESPN and executive producer of First Take, having initially started working for the company in 2003.
Smith has held numerous roles at the network, including radio show host, contributions to SportsCenter and appearance on NBA Countdown.
He was a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1994 to 2010.
He started as an NBA writer before becoming a general sports columnist.
Prior to that, Smith worked as a reporter at the Winston-Salem Journal, the Greensboro News and the New York Daily News.
“And I think that bothered Stevie A. a little bit,” Russo added.
“But it’s fun. I have fun there. I don’t try to take it too seriously. I have a few laughs.
“You and I try to stay away from those topics that could cause some problems, and I try to do that primarily from a sports standpoint.”
Apparently, Redick will no longer have to worry about Russo’s taunts, with the 39-year-old reportedly set to take over as the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN.
While his appointment has not yet been announced by the team, the report states that Redick was offered a four-year contract on Thursday.
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