"I negotiated coming off of it. Now I love doing 'NBA Countdown,' but once the countdown show is over, I got other things to do than to be in studio, watching the doubleheader and coming on at halftimes. I got other stuff that I want to do, to prepare for 'First Take' the next day, the next morning, and to do an abundance of other things that I aspire to do."
"He is the star of ESPN's "First Take." He hosts two radio shows on SiriusXM. He has his own production company. Since 2021, Smith also has been an analyst on ESPN's "NBA Countdown" pre-game and halftime studio show. But he isn't anymore, at least not on a full-time basis. This week, ESPN announced a new "NBA Countdown" broadcast team that features host Malika Andrews and analysts Brian Windhorst, Michael Malone and Kendrick Perkins, with frequent contributions from Shams Charania."
Stephen A. Smith reduced his full-time role on ESPN's NBA Countdown as part of his contract renewal to manage expanding professional duties. Smith continues to host First Take, operates two SiriusXM radio shows, and runs a production company, which limited his availability for pregame and halftime studio obligations. ESPN assembled a new NBA Countdown team led by Malika Andrews with analysts Brian Windhorst, Michael Malone and Kendrick Perkins and contributions from Shams Charania. Smith will still make occasional appearances on NBA Countdown while prioritizing preparation for First Take and other projects.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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