Kevin Hart has been made aware of Kai Cenat jokingly calling him a “leprechaun” after Stephen A. Smith argued that the two stars were comparable in terms of their respective skills on the court.
During a recent First Take episode, Cenat was asked to grade his own performance at the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, ultimately leading to Smith, fresh off a reported $100 million ESPN deal, bringing Hart’s name into the conversation.
“Kevin Hart? You just compared me to that little leprechaun? Kevin Hart?” Cenat asked. “Are you serious?”
Cenat went on to say, again jokingly, that Hart “can’t hoop for real no more” before offering his own comparison picks: Allen Iverson, Jamal Crawford, and Steph Curry.
“The people are saying this,” he said, much to Smith’s chagrin. From there, Cenat said that Hart “would literally cook” Smith on the court, leading Smith to propose that he could potentially “beat you and Kevin by myself.”
Later, Hart was asked about Smith’s comparison when approached by a TMZ-associated paparazzo in New York.
“Kai Cenat is Kai Cenat. He’s dope as hell,” Hart, who appeared alongside Druski on Cenat’s special Thanksgiving stream last year, said.
The paparazzo then pointed out Cenat's “leprechaun” remark, prompting Hart to change his tone, albeit playfully.
“You tell Kai I said go fuck himself,” the comedian said with a laugh.
Earlier this week, Cenat made his late-night debut with an appearance on The Tonight Show. While talking with host Jimmy Fallon, Cenat, ranked as the No. 2 streamer of 2024 by Complex, detailed a marathon stream preparation process that he likened to NBA Finals training.
“It’s like I’m going out there to win a championship,” he said.