Stephen A. Smith took “casual Friday” to a whole new level on ESPN’s “First Take.”
Smith showed up to work on Friday rocking two sparkling silver chains over his black hooded sweatshirt, topped with a brown suede jacket.
Though his fit was fashionable, Smith’s chains stole the show, even drawing comparisons to a Grammy-winning rapper.
At one point, co-host Molly Qerim paused, looked at Smith with a smirk, and said, “What’s up 2 Chainz?”
Smith noted that the rapper is “good people,” before explaining his look.
“It’s casual Friday … it’s a negative reason I have on this outfit because I’m in LA, it’s 66 degrees and I’m returning to New York and it’s freezing. I’m going home, that’s why,” he said.
“I like the jacket but watch out I might snatch one of those chains,” Molly joked, before trolling Smith for “re-complimenting” himself.
When ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins joined the show, he felt left out.
“Y’all didn’t give me the reminder to wear my chains?” the 2008 NBA Champion asked while the group shared a laugh.
The internet also enjoyed Smith’s look, with one person tweeting, “Y’all got buckets over there @FirstTake? @stephenasmith pulled up to the set dripping?”
Smith returned to the show in January after several weeks away while sick with COVID-19. He explained on the show that he had tested positive for the virus in mid-December and was later admitted to the hospital, where he spent New Year’s Day.
“They told me, had I not been vaccinated, I wouldn’t be here. That’s how bad it was. I had pneumonia in both lungs. My liver was bad,” Smith said. “But if it wasn’t for several doctors, I wouldn’t be here.”