Nick Cannon is siding with Terrell Owens -- saying the NFL legend was RIGHT when he said ESPN's Max Kellerman is blacker than Stephen A. Smith.
He was laughing when he said it ... but it's clear Nick agrees with Owens when it comes to the larger topic, Colin Kaepernick.
FYI, Cannon is close friends with Kap -- which was the topic of discussion that set things off on ESPN's "First Take" between T.O. and Stephen A. on Thursday.
Owens has been unhappy with Stephen A's negative criticism of Kaep for the way the QB handled the NFL workout -- so he went on the show to hash things out and told SAS his white co-host Max Kellerman "almost seems blacker than you.