Stephen A. Smith goes in hard on Ime Udoka in defense of Nia Long

Ime Udoka, Nia Long’s ex-husband, recently landed a head coaching job with the Houston Rockets after being let go by the Boston Celtics in 2022 for having an inappropriate relationship with a female staff member.

At his introduction presser for the Rockets, Udoka spoke about the situation and the steps he took to learn from it, not once mentioning Long.

“I took leadership sensitivity training and some counseling with my son to help him improve the situation I put him in,” Udoka said. “You can grow from adversity, and I think I’ve done that this year, in the right direction.”

Some were not fans of his comments, and many have come out to support the actress, including Stephen A. Smith.

On one of his recent podcasts, Smith spoke about the situation and posted the clip on his Instagram.

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“Can I ask all the ladies out there and all the men out there something? What about the sister, the Black woman named Nia Long, that was thrown to the wolves by having all of this publicized,” Smith said. “Did she deserve that? This beautiful, gorgeous, smart, intelligent, accomplished woman, a sensational actress, crossing all lines and barriers. Even if they’re not together, that is the father of her child. If you mention him and another woman, inevitably, she’s going to come up.”

It looked like Long approved of Smith’s support, because in the comments she said “Thank you @stephenasmith for your support. TBC.” She commented again saying “The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. – Malcolm X.”

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Long then posted a quote on her Instagram that says “The best revenge, is no revenge. Move on. Be happy.”