Celtics guard Jaylen Brown challenges ESPN's Stephen A Smith to a debate at Harvard or MIT

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown has challenged ESPN talking head Stephen A. Smith to a live debate. Yes, this is an actual headline in 2026.

At first, the feud between Brown and Smith was pretty funny. The two took jabs at one another across various media platforms, including television, X (formerly Twitter), and Twitch.

It seemed a little fake, given Smith's propensity for getting into beefs with famous NBA players. The feuds often feel performative, but seem to drive public attention to Smith.