Roy Hibbert was fired up when he joined the show yesterday.

Fresh off his memorable block of Carmelo Anthony in the series-clinching Game 6 victory over the Knicks, the Pacers big man talked to us about the rejection, Lance Stephenson’s maturation, and what ‘Turnt Up’ means – among many other topics.

Hibbert wasn’t happy about not being selected to the NBA All-Defensive Team, but he said that didn’t have much effect on his one-on-one matchup with All-Defensive First Team pick Tyson Chandler, who he dominated in their series win over the Knicks:

The highlight of our conversation was when Roy opened up on his feelings about Stephen A. Smith.  I wrote yesterday about Stephen A. saying that he “wasn’t going to give Hibbert a cookie” for the big fourth quarter play against the Knicks.  Here was his response to that:

The above is what Roy doesn't give when it comes to Stephen A.

Roy didn’t take the bait when pressed on the LeBron-Vogel controversy nontroversy that has sprouted up this week, calling Miami “the best team” and shrugging off the four-time MVP’s comments.  But, clearly, he and the Pacers are eager to get a second shot at the team that ended their season a year ago. 

Hear the full interview here.

Stephen A. Smith isn’t impressed with Roy Hibbert.

Instead of praising Hibbert’s game-changing block of Carmelo Anthony in Saturday night’s series clinching victory, Smith said he “wasn’t going to give a cookie” to Roy for the rejection.  There’s no question that the block was the turning point, as the Pacers outscored the Knicks 16-7 down the stretch to turn a two-point deficit into a 106-99 win.  Hibbert had five in the game, and his defense was the deciding factor of the entire series.

A season-defining (and perhaps season-saving) moment for the Pacers

In sports media today, local markets all over the country are peppered with former players, former coaches, employees, and/or fans of the home team.  Heck, I can't take a holier-than-thou approach myself being a Giants, Yankees, and Knicks (<ducks for cover>) fan because of where I grew up.  I try not to let those allegiances bleed into anything I say on the show, or write on here, but I'd be lying if I said that it never did. Nationally, Tony Dungy discusses Peyton Manning’s legacy, Antonio Davis is breaking down the Pacers-Heat series, and Thom Brennaman does national TV Reds broadcasts.  You’re never going to get 100% objectivity, but those guys try their best to put personal feelings aside and be professional – challenging as that may be.  I’m not so sure Stephen A. is even trying.  Check out this tweet from yesterday:

I'm DEPRESSED right now, Ladies and Gentlemen. Not going to lie. Can't sleep. Won't eat. Don't wanna work! But I'll be on FIRST TAKE in AM.

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) May 19, 2013

Depressed? Really?

Regardless of whether Stephen A. deems Hibbert worthy of praise, his Knicks have gone fishin’.  

I can live with personal bias in sports.  It happens all the time in news and politics.  All I ask is that talking heads try their best to be objective.  It doesn't appear that is the case here.

UPDATE: Roy will join us on the show today at about 3:45.  We'll give him plenty of cookies.