Stephen A. Smith has an opinion on just about everything ... and that includes a rape lawsuit involving his co-worker Shannon Sharpe, who is now stepping away from ESPN amid the legal process.

Stephen A. reacted to Sharpe's decision to "temporarily" leave his duties on "First Take" in a Friday episode of his YouTube show. The media personalities are friends and folks are interested in how Stephen's processing Shannon's legal issues.

For Stephen, he says it's his personal opinion Shannon is NOT guilty ... though he admits he wasn't there for the allegations and only knows what's been reported in the media.

Stephen says he finds it hard to believe Shannon would assault or rape anyone -- as a woman is accusing him of doing -- but he says, again, it's just his opinion.

Sharpe says he will be back on ESPN when football season rolls around in the fall ... and Stephen A. says he will be there for Sharpe "if he needs me" because "that's what friends do, even in the toughest of times, sometimes especially the toughest of times, they ain't telling you you're right all the time, and hell, sometimes they may not stop you from falling into that abyss, but they're there to lift you up when nobody else will."

For his part, Shannon maintains he did nothing wrong ... even though he says he offered his accuser a $10 million settlement that she turned down.