“Mad Dog” criticizes Stephen A. Smith for arriving at the NBA Finals

Chris “Mad Dog” Russo called out Stephen A. Smith for the way ESPN filmed him entering arenas during the NBA Finals as if he were a player.

Smith was present at the NBA Finals as part of ESPN’s championship coverage, and the network made the bizarre decision to include him in pregame montages showing the players arriving at the arena.

In fact, ESPN has been doing this since at least the second round of the playoffs.

During his weekly segment “What Are You Mad About” on Wednesday’s episode of First takeRusso finally let Smith know what he thought about it.

“This is ridiculous,” Russo said. “He thinks he’s playing. How about he storms into the Celtics’ fourth game in Dallas on Sunday night? Steve, this is stupid. There’s a guy behind you. There are the cameras. What do you think, you’re going to score 36 points tonight with sunglasses on? I mean, this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in my life! How about you go to the game in a T-shirt and shorts, sit on the upper deck and drink beer with the guys? Why are you doing this? Look at this! This is ridiculous! We know you’re a star, Steve. OK? We know you’re a star. You don’t have to show off!

”

First take host Molly Qerim joked that Smith went into the arena with “irrational confidence,” as if he was Lebron James.

Smith defended the footage of himself entering the arena, saying it wasn’t even his decision.

“I didn’t ask for this,” Smith told his colleagues. “I get out of my car. I walk into the arena like I always do. I didn’t ask them to send me a camera to show me how I walk!”

Although he did not ask for the coverage, Smith took the opportunity to pat himself on the back for his performance.

“When you walk into an arena – for the guys out there, the players – you have to look like this,” he said. “Take notes.”

Watch above via ESPN.