Stephen A. Smith is making his place on the Karmelo Anthony verdict unmistakably clear.
Throughout a current episode of his Straight Shooter podcast, the outspoken commentator mentioned, “Karmelo Anthony murdered Austin Metcalf. There isn’t any different solution to slice it.”
Anthony was discovered responsible of homicide and sentenced to 35 years in jail for fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a highschool monitor meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025.
Stephen A. Smith (C) attends a basketball recreation between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks at Crypto.com Area on March 6, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. (Allen Berezovsky/Getty Photographs)
Smith additionally pushed again on claims from Anthony’s protection workforce that he was “appearing in self-defense” when he stabbed Metcalf.
The confrontation that turned lethal started that April day when Anthony entered one other faculty’s tent throughout the monitor meet. Austin Metcalf and his twin brother, Hunter, then approached Anthony, who was seated beneath their workforce’s tent, and informed him to depart as a result of it was not designated for his workforce.
Karmelo Anthony was convicted of murdering Austin Metcalf at a monitor meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas. (KDFW)
The ESPN commentator additionally mentioned, “How does that justify Karmelo Anthony pulling out a knife?”
Smith additionally talked about in his podcast that he was “not glad” with the make-up of the jury for the Anthony case.
“I’m not proud of the sentencing as a result of I’m not proud of the jury — 18 jurors, about six minorities, none of whom occur to be Black? I don’t consider that’s being judged by a ‘jury of your friends’,” he mentioned.
A courtroom sketch reveals Karmelo Anthony throughout his trial in Collin County, Texas, the place he was convicted of homicide within the 2025 stabbing loss of life of Austin Metcalf on June 9, 2026. (Pat Lopez)
The jury for the trial was comprised of 12 jurors with six alternates, totaling 18.
Karmelo Anthony stands in a courtroom throughout his trial in Collin County, Texas, on June 9, 2026, shortly earlier than jurors had been despatched to deliberate. (Pat Lopez/Unknown)
Nevertheless, all through the podcast, Smith nonetheless maintained his stance on the case that has led to controversial divide and racial undertones.
“You already know what actually hits house for me?” he paused.
ESPN commentator and govt producer Stephen A. Smith is on set in New Orleans forward of Tremendous Bowl LIX on Feb. 7, 2025. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Photographs)
He went on to say, “I believe it could hit house for any dad or mum who sends their little one to highschool — is absolutely conscious that they’re competing in monitor, and so they get a name or a knock on the door, and so they’re informed that their little one is rarely, ever coming house once more.”
Information Company has reached out to Smith for remark.
