Stephen A Smith/First Take

On Thursday, the ESPN star was on First Take when he got the news that New York Knicks big man Julius Randle will undergo season-ending right shoulder surgery and be reevaluated in five months. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the news.

Randle hasn’t played since he dislocated the shoulder in January while Wojnarowski noted “doctors warned him that his shoulder’s continued instability made it unsafe for him to play again this season” despite his rehab attempts.

It was news that was heartbreaking to hear for New York Knicks fans as well as Stephen A. Smith.

On Thursday, Stephen A. Smith was damn near in tears on First Take as he reacted to the devastating news in real-time on the show. They even had sad music playing in the background to go along with his crying.

Stephen A. Smith had hoped he could return as Randle had been rehabbing to avoid the surgery and return for the playoffs, Wojnarowski reported undergoing the procedure at this point means he could be fully recovered for the start of the 2024-25 campaign.

Randle had made his third All-Star Game in four years and averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from three-point range, via ESPN.com.

Stephen A. Smith Is A Lifetime New York Knicks Fan Who Desperately Wants To See The Team Win

Stephen A Smith loves two things. Cheering for the New York Knicks and hating on the Dallas Cowboys.

Stephen A Smith has often taken shots at the team over the years, but he does it out of love because he simply wants to see the team win and get back to the NBA Finals, somewhere they haven’t been since the mid-90s where they lost to the Houston Rockets.

Victor Wembanyama Opens Up On His Wholesome Conversation With Kevin Durant After Team USA’s Gold Medal Win

Victor Wembanyama and Kevin Durant (Image Credit: Getty Images)
Victor Wembanyama’s France team faced a tough challenge in the Paris Olympics final by falling short against Team USA with a close 98-87 loss. The defeat was a hard pill to swallow, especially for Wembanyama. He was visibly emotional after the game and shed tears over missing out on a gold medal.

Despite the heartbreak, Wembanyama found a silver lining in the experience. The young star had the opportunity to interact with their childhood idol, Kevin Durant. During a recent appearance on a French television station with Gabby Williams, Wembanyama shared the conversation he had with Durant after the game.

“He became my favorite childhood player. I made it clear that I wanted to learn from him [and] perhaps only steal 1 or 2 of his secret techniques,” Wembanyama said.

The San Antonio Spurs star’s performance was a bright spot for France, especially in the gold medal game. He scored 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting in just 30 minutes of play.