Stephen A. Smith is no stranger to going viral, but once again, it’s not for the reasons he might hope. On Saturday night, after Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. delivered a monster 34-point performance to send the Gators to the national championship game, Smith took to social media to shower praise. But in the process, he made a mistake that lit up basketball Twitter.
Instead of comparing Clayton to Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham, Smith wrote that Clayton reminded him of “Wade Cunningham” – a name that doesn’t exist in the NBA. The tweet went live at 8:26 p.m. ET and remained up for over an hour, sparking immediate backlash and mockery across the internet.
The real stars: Clayton and Cade
Clayton’s performance was nothing short of spectacular: 11-for-18 from the field, 5-for-8 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. He became the first player since Larry Bird in 1979 to score 30+ points in both the Elite Eight and Final Four, solidifying his name in NCAA history.
Meanwhile, Cade Cunningham, the actual Pistons guard Stephen likely meant, returned to action that same night after missing six games. The 23-year-old led Detroit to their first playoff appearance in six seasons, making Smith’s misstep all the more glaring.
Who is “Wade Cunningham”?
Here’s the kicker: Wade Cunningham is a real person – just not in basketball. He’s a 40-year-old former motorsports driver from New Zealand who raced in the IndyCar Series over a decade ago. While he may have been fast on the track, he’s definitely not dishing out assists in Detroit.
A $100 million oops
Stephen A. recently inked a reported $100 million deal to remain the face of ESPN. But when you’re that visible – and that well-compensated – every mistake is magnified. While fans can understand a typo, mixing up a rising NBA star’s name in the middle of March Madness and NBA playoff buzz is not a great look.
And with the playoffs just around the corner, Smith should get used to saying Cade Cunningham-correctly-because the Pistons‘ young leader is only getting started.
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