After picking his preferred first-generation Pokémon starter and deciding on the best athlete in Bikini Bottom, ESPN’s Stephen A Smith has moved on to Pikmin. In a clip that the sportscaster posted directly to his X account, Smith was once again asked a question outside his remit as an NBA analyst, but as ever, he put plenty of thought into answering.
In the already viral X video clip from April 8, Smith responds to a question asking which of an assortment of Pikmin he’d choose to fight the Emporer Bulblax. The presenter has no shortage of options to choose from, including the classic primary color Pikmin, as well as some other favorites like the Rock Pikmin and Winged Pikmin. Smith immediately discounted the White Pikmin, as, in his own words, “that’s a damn flower, it ain’t gonna be that, I’m not putting them in a fight.” Wise words and a fair assessment.
After writing off the White Pikmin, Smith assesses the board again, as if it were a line-up of NBA All-Stars rather than an obscure collection of characters from a game he’s probably never heard of, looking for “the most menacing.” Unsurprisingly, this leads the presenter to land on the Rock Pikmin due to its size, stating “I’m gonna go with this one right here, the big one, what’s his name again?” Again, for someone who clearly isn’t finishing up their broadcast to head home and boot up Pikmin 4, you can’t critique the man’s methods, just like when he had his pick of the Pokémon starters.
We don’t know why we keep getting these hilarious memeable moments from Stephen A Smith, but we don’t want them to stop any time soon. He’s done Pikmin, he’s done Spongebob, and he’s done Pokémon, but there’s still so much ground to cover. What is his favorite Koopaling? Which of the original Digimon is he opting for? Who would he romance in Stardew Valley? I don’t want to hear any more about the NBA. These are the real questions.
There you have it, the news that ESPN’s sportscaster Stephen A Smith now has a preferred Pikmin to go along with his Pokémon of choice – Charmander, or as Smith pronounces it, Shamander. While you’re here, pick out some favorites yourself from our guides to the best mobile games, the best mobile card games, and the best free mobile games. Or, if you prefer making in-game money, check out our free Monopoly Go dice guide.