Well, he’s done it again.
Stephen A. Smith, the always-entertaining (and occasionally error-prone) voice of ESPN, went viral on Saturday night — not for a hot take, but for a hilarious mix-up involving the Detroit Pistons’ franchise cornerstone.
While hyping up Florida Gators star Walter Clayton Jr., who had just led his team to a massive Final Four win over Auburn, Smith took to social media to deliver some well-earned praise. Except… he fumbled the name of the NBA player he was comparing Clayton to.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, just in case you did not know: this brother from @GatorsMBK, his name is Walter Clayton Jr, and he is something special. This brother is the real deal,” Smith posted on X. “Reminds me of @DetroitPistons big time guard Wade Cunningham.”
Yep. Wade Cunningham.
Pistons Fans Let Him Hear It
Naturally, Pistons fans wasted no time letting Stephen A. know that Cade Cunningham — not Wade — is the name of the team’s All-Star guard. Some fans were amused, others were annoyed, but nearly everyone had something to say.
One fan quipped:
“Who’s Wade? We got Cade, and he’s HIM.”
Another joked:
“Wade Cunningham sounds like a creative player from NBA 2K.”
Honest Mistake or Classic Stephen A.?
To be fair, Smith has a long history of going off-script, sometimes resulting in name slips like this. While it’s unclear whether it was a typo or just a classic slip of the tongue, it’s not the first time — and it probably won’t be the last.
Still, it’s always fun when national pundits give Cade Cunningham his flowers — even if they mix up his name along the way.
Bottom Line
Hey, Walter Clayton Jr. really is a baller. And if he’s drawing comparisons to Cade (er, Wade?) Cunningham, that’s high praise. Just don’t expect Detroit fans to let the mix-up slide any time soon.
Next time, Stephen A., double-check the name. We love the energy — but it’s Cade, not Wade.
