Stephen A. Smith has publicly apologized to Kyrie Irving for the harsh criticism he directed at the NBA star during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking on The Stephen A. Smith Show, the longtime ESPN personality said he now believes Irving was treated unfairly for refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine while playing for the Brooklyn Nets. Smith accepted personal responsibility for contributing to that treatment and said he needed to do better.
“Kyrie Irving did nobody wrong,” Smith said. “We did him wrong. I did him wrong. And for that, I’m sincerely sorry.”
Stephen A Smith publicly apologizes to Kyrie Irving years after the pandemic after seeing inconsistencies with Dr Fauci pic.twitter.com/3Sp68KGiKL
— 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) July 31, 2026
Irving’s vaccination decision became one of the NBA’s biggest controversies during the 2021-22 season. New York City regulations initially prevented unvaccinated players from participating in home games, and the Nets decided that Irving would not play or practice with the team on a part-time basis. He was later permitted to return for road games before the local mandate was changed.
At the time, Smith was among Irving’s most aggressive critics. He argued that the guard was abandoning his teammates and repeatedly called for Brooklyn to trade him if he remained unavailable. Smith acknowledged Irving’s right to make a personal decision but condemned the effect it had on the Nets’ season.
Smith said his perspective shifted after reviewing more recent developments involving Dr. Anthony Fauci. He pointed to Fauci invoking his Fifth Amendment rights during congressional questioning and argued that the episode created grounds for greater skepticism toward the authorities who shaped public messaging during the pandemic.
That was Smith’s interpretation of the situation, not proof that Irving’s broader views about vaccines or public-health policy were scientifically correct. His apology focused primarily on the way Irving and other athletes were judged for questioning mandates and making personal medical decisions.
Smith also mentioned Aaron Rodgers and Novak Djokovic, two other prominent athletes who faced widespread criticism after declining COVID-19 vaccination. He said the skepticism expressed by those athletes deserved more consideration than he had previously given it.
“They weren’t as wrong as we thought they were,” Smith said, before adding that he was responsible for correcting his own conduct. “I need to do better. And I will.”
The apology does not erase every disagreement between Smith and Irving. Smith’s criticism of the guard over the years also involved missed games, his commitment to the Nets and controversies unrelated to vaccination. It does, however, represent a significant reversal regarding one of their most public disputes.
