Stephen A. Smith said he made the call to be removed from “NBA Countdown.”
ESPN announced Monday a “new-look NBA Countdown” show that surprisingly did not include Smith, a regular on the show for years and one of the faces of the company and its NBA coverage.
The Post and other outlets covered this news, and Smith took exception to the fact that his non-inclusion would be highlighted, instead saying he negotiated to be removed from the show.
“I had a contract negotiation [with ESPN] last year that started in June and ended in March, going into April,” Smith said on his SiriusXM show on Tuesday, according to Awful Announcing.
“It was decided at that particular moment in time that I wouldn’t be doing ‘NBA Countdown’ anymore because I didn’t want to. I loved doing the show. But after the show is over, I got a whole bunch of other stuff that I gotta do and I didn’t want to be stuck in studio until midnight. No shade against ESPN, no shade against my wonderful colleagues.”
Smith, 58, is one of ESPN’s most high-profile and highest-paid personalities, having agreed to a five-year deal worth at least $100 million with the company earlier this year.
The Athletic reported at the time that his new deal would maintain his role on “First Take,” while reducing his commitments in other areas.
“NBA Countdown” has now been revealed to be one of those endeavors getting sliced.
ESPN’s release said the show will be anchored by host Malika Andrews, analysts Kendrick Perkins and ex-coach Michael Malone, and reporters Brian Windhorst and Shams Charania.
Smith said removing “NBA Countdown” duties allows him to focus more on his “First Take” responsibilities and SiriusXM show, which includes a political venture.
He also has now started making appearances on “Monday Night Countdown,” which he said he enjoys and he wishes he could do each week.
“In case you haven’t noticed, I got other things on my plate,” Smith said, per Awful Announcing. “I’m a busy man. Just to be clear, I’m always available because once you’re working for ESPN, you’re part of the family. If they need me for anything, of course I’ll show back up on ‘NBA Countdown.’ … But it was always my intent to come off. It’s something I negotiated. So, just so we’re clear, this story is a non-story. This is not some epiphany that everybody is getting attached to that, ‘Oh my God, this just happened, and he’s being yanked off the show!’ No, it didn’t happen like that, I’m available when needed. And when I’m not needed, I got other stuff to do on my own. This was negotiated last year.”
Smith added that he doesn’t feel as much of a need to help anchor ESPN’s pregame and postgame coverage since the network now has the “Inside the NBA” crew.
“As it pertains to the NBA, I’ve been doing the NBA for 30 years. ‘Inside The NBA’ crew, which is clearly the A-team, with (Charles) Barkley, Kenny Smith, (Shaquille O’Neal), Ernie Johnson, they don’t need me. But if they ever wanted me in Atlanta, I’d be there,” Smith said.
“Kendrick Perkins is my brother. Malika Andrews is fabulous. Mike Malone is great too …. and my man Brian Windhorst is just exceptional. But if they need me in L.A. for ‘NBA Countdown,’ I’ll be there. Matter of fact, I have days in my contract to be there. I just don’t have to be there full time because I have a radio show that I’m doing right now … that didn’t exist last year. I have a political show on SiriusXM … that didn’t exist. I have a production company with scripted and unscripted content and game shows and things to that nature, that I’m in the process of producing, that wasn’t in place last year. I have other things to do.”
