Fans of the NBA were relieved to see a mutual reconciliation between Draymond Green and Stephen A. Smith. However, Smith’s recent introspection didn’t stop there. This emotional moment also prompted Smith to address another ongoing conflict with Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving.

Smith revealed that his motivation for seeking an apology from Irving came from a private conversation with his long-time friend and former

NBA player, Kenny Smith.

“If I think I’m wrong, because I think it’s rare, but I was wrong, and for Kenny Smith to tell me that, it hit home in a big way because we go back more than 30 years. I can count on two fingers how many times he’s thought I was wrong, and so his friendship, his brotherhood means a lot to me. But it also reminded me of the brotherhood of all of those that mentored me and have been there for Kyrie,” he said.

The Timberwolves’ vocal supporter has consistently criticized Kyrie Irving, particularly during Irving’s time with the Brooklyn Nets. His criticisms focused on Irving’s unavailability and perceived lack of commitment to the Nets. They came especially when Irving missed several games due to personal reasons and his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

What did Kenny Smith tell Stephen A. Smith?

During TNT’s pregame show on Tuesday, ahead of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, Kenny Smith shared a behind-the-scenes story about how he helped ease the feud between Stephen A. Smith and Kyrie Irving.

Kenny Smith revealed that he had a private conversation with Stephen A. Smith, which led to the ESPN analyst easing up on his criticism of Kyrie Irving.

“I’ll say it; I wasn’t going to say it. I’ve never said it to Kyrie, but I’ve said it to Stephen A. — because at one time Stephen A. was an advocate about having a battle with this guy — and I had to call Stephen, I’m like, ‘this guy is from our neighborhood,’” Kenny Smith explained.

Kenny Smith went on to describe how he reminded Stephen A. of their shared roots and the people who mentored both of them.

“I named like six people, and I said, ‘Stephen, those people mentored you and mentored him, so when you say something about him you’re actually saying it about us.’ So he understood and they kind of fell back,” he continued.