One of sports media’s loudest voices just turned up the volume on a conversation most people in the NBA prefer to avoid. Stephen A. Smith recently claimed that a significant number of NBA players are privately conservative but refuse to say so publicly. The statement landed like a buzzer-beater and set social media ablaze overnight.
Politics and professional basketball rarely mix without consequences. Smith’s bold claim cuts right to the heart of a long-standing tension inside America’s most culturally influential sports league. The question of who gets to speak freely and who stays silent is bigger than basketball, and it deserves a real conversation.
Who is Stephen A. Smith?
Stephen A. Smith is one of the most prominent figures in American sports media. In 2025, ESPN agreed to a five-year extension with Smith that AP reported was worth at least $100 million, keeping him at the center of the network’s sports coverage.
Smith has also become more active in political commentary. He has described himself as a registered independent, fiscally conservative, and socially liberal, and SiriusXM launched his political and culture show, “Straight Shooter with Stephen A.,” on its POTUS channel in September 2025.
The conversation that started it all
The spark came from a sit-down between Smith and former ESPN anchor Sage Steele on her podcast. Smith revealed that many Black NBA players hold conservative political views but are afraid to say so publicly out of fear of being criticized by their own community. His words were direct and unfiltered, exactly what fans have come to expect from him.
“They may not admit it publicly, but there’s a whole bunch of them,” Smith said plainly. He spent decades covering the NBA and building relationships with players. It was through those deep personal connections that he reached his conclusion about the league’s hidden political landscape.
What Smith actually said about fairness
Smith did not just drop a bombshell and walk away. He went further and made a moral argument about why these players deserve protection. He said he has always been sensitive to Black conservatives and does not believe it is fair for someone to be attacked simply because their political views differ from the majority of African Americans.
“Don’t sit up there and say, Oh, you don’t believe what we believe, so you’re a sellout. You ain’t worth a damn,” Smith argued. He called that kind of reaction “grotesquely unfair” and said it has always been his mission to defend those individuals even when he personally disagrees with their views.
Why conservative NBA players stay silent
Smith’s claim raises an important question. If there are so many conservative players in the league, why do none of them speak up? The answer lies in the social and professional risks that come with going against the grain in a politically progressive environment. Speaking out can cost a player endorsements, fan support, and locker room relationships.
The social media backlash that followed Smith’s comments illustrated exactly that dynamic, with the discussion quickly spreading and dividing fans along political lines. Some supported Smith’s call for tolerance, while others questioned whether conservative Black athletes face real consequences or simply choose silence out of comfort.
The NBA’s history as a politically leaning league
The NBA has been one of the most visible U.S. leagues for athlete activism, especially during the 2020 racial justice movement.
Black players make up approximately 70.4% of the NBA’s active rosters, according to data from the 2022 to 2023 season, and many have used that platform to advocate loudly for progressive causes. The league became a symbol of athlete activism during the 2020 racial justice movement.
LeBron James became the most prominent example of that tradition. He founded the voting rights organization More Than A Vote and regularly spoke out on issues of policing, inequality, and voter suppression. The NBA even allowed teams to use their arenas as polling centers during the 2020 presidential election.
Sage Steele’s story adds real-world weight
Sage Steele’s own experience gave the conversation some concrete texture. Steele left ESPN in 2023 after settling a lawsuit in which she claimed the network retaliated against her for sharing conservative views, including opposition to Disney’s vaccine mandate and comments about Barack Obama’s racial identity.
She said she wanted to leave to exercise her First Amendment rights more freely. Her story became a case study in what happens when sports media personalities step outside the ideological expectations placed on them.
Steele’s rocky exit from ESPN added undeniable credibility to Smith’s broader point about the cost of conservative expression in sports spaces.
Fun fact: Sage Steele joined ESPN in 2007 as a SportsCenter host and spent nearly 16 years with the network before her controversial departure.
Smith’s own political evolution
Smith’s willingness to wade into these waters did not happen overnight. In September 2025, he launched a weekly political talk show called “Straight Shooter with Stephen A.” on SiriusXM’s bipartisan POTUS channel, marking a formal expansion of his role from sports commentator to political voice. The show features guests from across the political spectrum and airs every Wednesday evening.
Smith has taken pride in refusing to be boxed into one camp. He has criticized both major political parties and has made no secret of his belief that the Black community gains nothing by giving unconditional loyalty to either side. That independent streak is what makes his NBA claims feel less like hot takes and more like genuine observations.
Fun fact: Before becoming one of TV’s biggest personalities, Stephen A. Smith was a newspaper guy. He climbed the ranks from the New York Daily News all the way to a 16-year run as a sports columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer before television came knocking.
The broader question about black political identity
Smith’s comments touched on something much larger than basketball. The idea that Black Americans must think politically alike is a stereotype that many people within the community have pushed back against for years. Smith has previously argued that since 1964, Black voters have given their votes to the Democratic Party at extremely high rates, which he believes has reduced their political leverage with both parties.
That argument is not new, but hearing it from someone with Smith’s platform gives it fresh weight. The debate he has reignited is not really about basketball at all. It is about whether Black Americans in any profession should feel free to express a full range of political views without social punishment.
TL;DR
- Stephen A. Smith claimed that “a whole bunch” of NBA players are privately Black conservatives who won’t say so publicly.
- He made these comments on former ESPN anchor Sage Steele’s podcast, defending the right of conservatives to hold different views without being called sellouts.
- The NBA has a long history of progressive political activism, with about 70.4% of its players being African American as of the 2022 to 2023 season.
- Sage Steele’s real-world experience of leaving ESPN after conservative commentary gave Smith’s argument added weight.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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