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Tiki Barber said he isn’t “bent out of shape” over his recent war of words with Stephen A. Smith over allegations of racism against the Giants, but he did make an emphatic final statement.

On Tuesday’s episode of his WFAN show “Tiki and Tierney,” Barber responded to Smith’s Monday warning — that Barber should “watch [himself] and know who [he’s] talking about” — with an apology, while also condemning the threat Smith made toward him.

“It is not worth my emotional energy to get bent out of shape about something that I have no control over. I have much respect for Stephen A. Smith. He is the prominent Black journalist in sports right now, so if he felt affronted by a conversation that I was having — that wasn’t actually about him. It was about how we have used and hijacked racism to make excuses for failing diversity initiatives — then I apologize to Stephen A. Smith.

“But that being said, he is the prominent Black journalist on a major network, and threatening another Black man is not what this country should be about. Period.”

Barber and Smith’s spat began last week when Barber disagreed with Smith about accusations of racism against the Giants.

Last Tuesday, former Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a class-action lawsuit in Manhattan against the NFL alleging racism in the hiring process — claiming the Giants gave him a “sham” interview, already knowing they had chosen Brian Daboll for the job.


  Tiki Barber Getty Images for DraftKings Tiki Barber Getty Images for DraftKings

After the news went public, Smith slammed the Giants on “First Take,” and said “when it comes to Black coaches… there’s nobody more incriminating than the New York Giants.”

Barber later disagreed with Smith on his podcast, vehemently denying that Giants owners John Mara and Steve Tisch are racist. He added that Smith “doesn’t know anybody in the Giants organization” to make a claim about racism against the team.


  Stephen A. Smith Getty Images Stephen A. Smith Getty Images

That’s when Smith ended Monday’s “First Take” with a fiery response to Barber.

“Tiki, you don’t know who the hell I know. I’ve been a journalist for almost 30 years, I know a few people within the Giants organization. I know a lot of stuff about you, my brother, that I would never say because I have the decency not to say those things,” Smith said. “Chill out. Watch yourself and know who you’re talking about.”

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