“As a black man, as a former player, I think it’s best for me to support the players and just not be here tonight,” Smith said. “And figure out what happens next.”
Smith then proceeded to disconnect his microphone and walked away from the set.
After Smith’s departure, the show continued with Johnson and other hosts, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, talking about the league, the boycotts and racial injustice.
This included Turner Sports NBA analyst Chris Webber passionate about race in America.
“If not now, when? If not lost during a pandemic and countless lives. If not now, when?” Webber said about the show.
Turner, which airs within the NBA, and CNN share a parent company in WarnerMedia. A Turner Sports spokeswoman praised CNN Business for Smith’s decision to join NBA players in a state of social justice.
After the Bucks protest, the NBA announced that it would postpone all games Wednesday night.
– CNN’s David Close, Allen Kim and Leah Asmelash contributed to this report
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