ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith believes if he were to run for President in 2028, he’d have a pretty easy time securing a nomination.
Regardless, he might have a difficult time securing the vote of at least one NBA Hall of Famer.
Charles Barkley, an 11-time NBA All-Star, spoke on Smith’s political aspirations in an appearance with SI Media.
“Calm down, Stephen A.—and Stephen A. is one of my friends,” Barkley said. “C’mon, man. Stop it. C’mon. It had to start out as a joke and he started taking it serious. C’mon, man. All I would say is ‘knock it off.’ And that’s the best way to phrase it.”
Barkley went on to flat-out state that Smith would not be getting his vote.
“No,” he said when asked. “Hard no.”
Stephen A. Smith’s Political Aspirations Shot Down by Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley’s point that Stephen A. Smith’s run for President started off as a joke is correct. In fact, the ESPN analyst turned LeBron James’s celebrity boxing match opponent treated it as such at the onset.
In November, he told the ladies of The View that he would strongly consider a presidential run if he felt he had a “legitimate shot” to win.
“I’m half joking, but I kind of mean it,” Smith said. “I mean, I have no desire to be a congressional figure or a senator, but if you came to me and you told me I had a legitimate shot to win the presidency of the United States of America, I would definitely consider it.”
Ultimately, he nixed the idea because it would cramp his style.
“I have said this on many occasions. The answer would be, ‘Hell no,’ because I like my life. I’m living a pretty good life.”
Last month, Smith signed a contract extension for five years, $100 million, with ESPN.
Presidential Hype is Fizzling
It would seem that Charles Barkley is tamping down the hype for Stephen A. Smith’s presidential bid, as is the public.
The latest polls show him at just 1 percent in a hypothetical Democrat primary, getting tripled up by another entertainer, comedian Jon Stewart.
📊 2028 🔵 Primary (shift vs March)
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) April 14, 2025
Harris: 28% (-5)
Booker: 11% (+9)
Buttigieg: 7% (-3)
AOC: 7%
Walz: 5%
Newsom: 4% (-3)
Crockett: 3%
Shapiro: 3%
Whitmer: 3%
Pritzker: 3%
Jon Stewart: 3%
Moore: 2%
Beshear: 1%
S. A. Smith: 1%
——
Head-to-Head
Harris: 54%
Booker: 34%
——… pic.twitter.com/OwAWtklMbP
Still, Smith insists his candidacy would be no joke and that he may have “no choice” but to run.
“I have no choice [but to run for president] because I’ve had elected officials, and I’m not gonna give their names, elected officials coming up to me,” Smith claims. “I’ve had folks who are pundits come up to me.”
“I’ve had folks that got a lot of money, billionaires and others, have talked to me about exploratory committees and things of that nature.”
Whatever you or Charles Barkley might think, seeing Stephen A. Smith up on the debate stage with some career politicians would certainly be entertaining.
