Prominent ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has made the surprising revelation that his absence from this season's NBA Countdown coverage was entirely his own decision, despite recently signing a massive $100 million contract with the network.
The New NBA Countdown Lineup
On Sunday, ESPN officially unveiled what it described as a 'new-look' team for its long-running basketball programme NBA Countdown. The revamped panel will feature host Malika Andrews alongside senior NBA writer Brian Windhorst, longtime analyst and former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins, and newly-hired Michael Malone - the former Denver Nuggets coach who led his team to victory in the 2023 NBA Finals.
ESPN's senior NBA insider Shams Charania will also make regular appearances on the show, with the fresh team set to make its debut this Wednesday. The announcement came amid questions about Smith's notable absence from the programme he had regularly appeared on in recent seasons.
Smith's Surprising Revelation
Rather than being sidelined by network executives, Smith claims he actively negotiated his departure from the show. The First Take host signed a five-year, $100 million contract with ESPN earlier this year, making him one of the highest-paid personalities in sports broadcasting.
'Apparently it's breaking news or something like that - Stephen A. Smith is not on NBA Countdown,' he remarked during his SiriusXM show. 'I negotiated a new deal with ESPN - a five-year deal - between June of 2024 and March into April of 2025. I didn't want to be on the show. I negotiated coming off it.'
Smith explained that while he enjoyed working on NBA Countdown, the time commitment conflicted with his expanding portfolio of other projects. 'Once the countdown show is over, I got other things to do than be in studio watching a doubleheader and coming on at halftime,' he stated.
Expanding Media Empire
The 58-year-old media personality has significantly diversified his professional commitments beyond his ESPN duties. Smith now hosts his own YouTube show and has become a prominent figure at SiriusXM, where he presents both a daily sports programme and a weekly politics show.
'That didn't exist last year,' Smith pointed out, highlighting his rapidly growing media presence. He also revealed he's building a production company and has made appearances on Monday Night Football this season, demonstrating his widening scope beyond basketball coverage.
Despite stepping back from regular Countdown duties, Smith emphasised he remains available when needed. 'If they need me in LA for NBA Countdown, I'll be there,' he confirmed. 'As a matter of fact, I have days in my contract to be there, I just don't have to be there full-time.'
Smith spoke positively about his former colleagues, describing Kendrick Perkins as 'my brother' and praising Malika Andrews as 'fabulous'. He also complimented new addition Michael Malone as 'great' and Brian Windhorst as 'exceptional'.
With thirty years of experience covering the NBA, Smith acknowledged the superiority of TNT's Inside the NBA crew featuring Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal and Ernie Johnson, stating 'they don't need me' while offering his services should they ever want him in Atlanta.
