Stephen A. Smith has claimed it was his decision to stop working on NBA Countdown after it emerged the $100million analyst had been left a ‘new-look’ team for the long-running show.
On Sunday, the network announced that the team will feature host Malika Andrews, senior NBA writer Brian Windhorst, longtime analyst and former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins, and newly-hired Michael Malone – the former Denver Nuggets coach and 2023 NBA Finals winner.
ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania will also make regular appearances on the show, with the ‘new-look’ team to make its debut on Wednesday.
But Smith, who signed a five-year, $100m contract with the ‘Worldwide Leader in Sports’ earlier this year, has yet to appear on NBA Countdown so far this season.
The First Take host was a regular on the panel in recent years but Smith has now claimed he asked to come off the show because he is too busy with other ventures.
‘Apparently it’s breaking news or something like that – Stephen A. Smith is not on NBA Countdown,’ he said on his SiriusXM show.
Stephen A. Smith has claimed it was his decision to stop working on NBA Countdown
Smith (left, seen in 2024) had been making appearances on the show for multiple years
‘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 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.’
In addition to his work with ESPN, Smith hosts his own YouTube show and is now a prominent figure at SiriusXM – hosting a daily sports show and weekly politics show. ‘That didn’t exist last year,’ Smith said. He said he is also building a production company, while the 58-year-old pointed out that he has appeared on ‘Monday Night Football’ this season.
‘If they need me in LA for NBA Countdown, I’ll be there,’ he continued. ‘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 added: ‘I’ve been doing the NBA for 30 years. The Inside the NBA crew – which is clearly the ‘A Team’ with [Charles] Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaq [O’Neal], Ernie Johnson, they don’t need me. But if they ever wanted me in Atlanta, I’d be there.
‘Kenny Perkins is my brother, Malika Andrews is fabulous, Mike Malone is great too… and my man Brian Windhorst is just exceptional.’
