Stephen A. Smith has dismissed NBA players’ complaints over the league’s new rest regulation. “If you’re upset with this rule, blame some of your peers. What do you think the National Basketball Association will do when certain players are sitting out games to avoid injury? They’re not hurt; they’re just trying not to get hurt.” Smith was ranting on First Take.
Smith, in particular, was responding to comments made by Tyrese Haliburton, who recently criticized the regulation. “I think it’s a stupid rule, as do most of the guys in the league, but it’s what the owners want.” So, as players, we must do our part and play in 65 games if possible. So that’s what I have to do: take care of my body so that I can play in those games, and I believe other players in the league are experiencing similar issues. “As long as the owners are content,” Haliburton told The Athletic. Haliburton may lose up to $40 million if he is ruled ineligible for the All-NBA Team.
Smith also indicated interest in working on an upcoming video game. Smith co-signed a fan request to feature in GTA 6 after the fan stated that the game required a Smith-themed radio station. The ESPN personality responded by saying “I do love me some Vice City” and tagging GTA producer Rockstar Games. Smith’s theatrical approach would be ideal for spoken interstitials between licensed music songs played on in-game radio stations. Maybe Rockstar could add a side mission with Smith. Perhaps you must assist the in-game Smith in dealing with his adversary, the in-game counterpart of Skip Bayless.
GTA 6 will be launched next year. Rockstar teased the game’s release date at the end of 2023. The game will return to Vice City, the in-universe version of Miami, which corresponds to Smith’s thoughts. However, fans are still waiting for more substantial information about the game following Rockstar’s original vibe-based video. What is known at this moment is that GTA 5’s multi-protagonist mechanic will return, and for the first time in the series’ history, one of the playable protagonists will be a woman.
