Stephen A. Smith has never been far from the spotlight. His feuds with NBA stars, his booming voice on First Take, and even the viral moment of him playing Solitaire during the 2025 NBA Finals have kept him at the center of sports conversations.
So when ESPN officially announced a new-look NBA Countdown without Smith’s name on the roster, many fans wondered whether he had been pushed aside. Smith made it clear this week that the decision was his.
Stephen A. Smith Explains Why He’s Off NBA Countdown
Speaking on his SiriusXM show, Smith addressed the reaction to ESPN’s unveiling of its revamped studio team.
“Apparently it’s breaking news or something like that–Stephen A. Smith is not on NBA Countdown,” he said.
Smith revealed that during his five-year contract negotiations, finalized between June 2024 and early 2025, he specifically asked to step away from the studio show’s regular duties. Despite his love for the program, he said the schedule no longer made sense.
“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. Now, I love doing NBA Countdown. But once the countdown show is over, I got other things to do than be in studio watching a doubleheader and coming on at halftime.”
“I love doing NBA Countdown. But 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 said.
He emphasized that the workload affected his other responsibilities, especially those related to First Take.
“I have other stuff that I want to do–to prepare for First Take the next morning and to do an abundance of other things that I aspire to do. Of course, I’m still there to contribute.”
Smith didn’t shy away from acknowledging his long-standing involvement in the network’s NBA coverage.
“I’ve been doing the NBA for 30 years,” he said. He even gave a nod to TNT Sports’ iconic Inside the NBA crew. “They’re clearly the A Team… they don’t need me. But if they ever wanted me in Atlanta, I’d be there.”
He also praised the new ESPN cast, calling Kendrick Perkins my brother, Malika Andrews “fabulous,” and offering compliments for Michael Malone, Brian Windhorst, and the rest of the group.
What’s Next for Smith in ESPN’s New Era?
On Nov. 17, ESPN made the changes official. Perkins, Malone, Windhorst, and Shams Charania will join host Malika Andrews on a refreshed NBA Countdown, debuting Wednesday night, Nov. 19. While the focus was on new faces, the absence of Smith stood out for longtime viewers.
In reality, the move had been expected ever since Smith signed his massive $100 million contract earlier this year. His schedule has continued to expand, and ESPN’s NBA studio hierarchy has changed.
Under the network’s licensing partnership with TNT Sports, Inside the NBA is now the top studio show under the Disney umbrella, reducing the pressure on NBA Countdown to carry that mantle.
Still, Smith has not been erased from ESPN’s NBA coverage. He will likely make cameo appearances during the season, keeping him loosely tied to the show.
For decades, Smith has been the most outspoken and often polarizing personality at ESPN. He has outlasted both Skip Bayless and Max Kellerman, the two co-hosts who once sat across from him on First Take.
Along the way, he expanded into radio, conducting interviews and providing sports commentary across multiple leagues, while also establishing a digital presence. But his nonstop visibility has also drawn critiques, with some fans feeling overwhelmed by his presence on the network.
Still, Smith’s influence is undeniable. He first joined ESPN in 2003 as an analyst on NBA Shootaround and became a permanent fixture on “First Take” by 2012. Two decades later, he remains the face of the network, even while stepping away from one of its flagship NBA shows.
