Stephen A. Smith apologizes 5 years later for saying vaccine skepticism made player look ‘flat-out stupid’

Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith has completely reversed course over comments he made during COVID about vaccine skepticism.

In Oct. 2021, the Brooklyn Nets said they were not allowing point guard Kyrie Irving to practice or play basketball with the team until he got the coronavirus vaccine.

‘I need to do better. I’m not alone, but I’m responsible for me.’

Smith was among those who heavily criticized Irving for his vaccine reticence.

“Kyrie Irving, I happen to believe, is an intelligent brother whose heart is in the right place,” Smith said at the time. “But now, you’ve regressed to an alarming level of self-righteousness. It not only makes you look hypocritical and untrustworthy, it makes you look what I know you are not, which is flat-out stupid.”

Smith went on