Continue on TOI App
Follow Us On

Stephen A. Smith compares hockey’s "intensity" to NBA and fans weigh in on the rivalry issue

| TOI Sports Desk | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Feb 22, 2025, 00:28 IST
Team Canada won the 4 Nations Face Off against Team USA, with Sid... Read More
Share
Team Canada proved their worth as they finally won the 4 Nations Face Off against Team USA last night. Sidney Crosby, the captain of Team Canada, is being hailed as a hero by fans due to his impressive performance yesterday. But ESPN’s broadcaster Stephen A Smith has brought in a new perspective to how hockey is perceived in the country as compared to the NBA.

Tired of too many ads?go ad free now

Stephen A Smith Talks About “Healthy Hostility” In Hockey And Why Fans Are Hooked To It



In a recent video posted by ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A Smith says, “I’m on a plane flying out West from the East coast yesterday okay. And I’m very very lucky to have a lot of televisions on the jet. So I'm sitting up there and I get up, you know gotta stretch, cant just be sitting there for six hours. And I’m going up and down, just walking you know…let the blood circulate. And I’m looking and every single TV had the hockey game on”.

Stephen A Smith then goes on to speak about how the game was not the reason why everyone was hooked to their TV screens as his flight flew to the West from the East Coast yesterday. As per him, it was because of the “intensity of the moment”. He also highlighted how newly elected president Donald Trump wished the Team USA before the match began and how Justin Trudeau “clapped back” at Team USA.

These events led to a “healthy hostility” between the two teams and the fans of the two teams; something that as per Stephen A Smith is completely missing from the NBA currently and fans are also agreeing with Stephen A Smith’s controversial opinion.


Tired of too many ads?go ad free now
A fan wrote, “True! NBA doesn’t have any rivalry nowadays ��‍♂️”, while another fan wrote, “The NBA is a league that built itself on personality. That is wonderful… when that had personalities. These guys are boring now. So it suffers”.

A third fan wrote, “Hockey honors history, revels legacy, relinquishes self for team . The today NBA cares of self and that’s why they are in state they are in but they don’t care.”

NBA players are yet to respond to Stephen A Smith’s controversial comments.

Also Read: Oilers' Evander Kane was sued by a woman after he refused to pay $3,000,000 for aborting their child despite previously agreeing to the deal
Stay updated with the latest sports news and find out how to watch the ICC Champions Trophy live in Canada and the USA. Don’t miss the highly anticipated India vs New Zealand clash. Check the live cricket scores and Champions Trophy Schedule here.
About the Author

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ... Read More
Continue Reading
Follow Us On Social Media
end of article
UP NEXT