Published by
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
By Jimmy Traina Smith gives masterful performance during fiery debate over Nets star 1. When Stephen A. Smith appeared on the SI Media Podcast last September, I asked him whether it was fair or unfair to characterize what he does on First Take each day as “performance art.” “I don’t think about it that way,” he responded. “I’m not gonna say it’s unfair. I can understand that interpretation. I would tell you that we’re in a personality-driven business. The ‘E’ in ESPN stands for entertainment. I get that part of it. It doesn’t offend me in the slightest. My biggest thing is just making sure, ju…