Stephen A. Smith On ESPN Layoffs: “I Could Be Next”
There are few stars at ESPN that shine as brightly as Stephen A. Smith. The longtime sports pundit has made the network’s flagship morning show, First Take, entirely his own, while still holding down his NBA Countdown duties. Additionally, Smith is a regular on everything from Get Up to SportsCenter, and hosts The Stephen A. Smith Show.
Smith’s importance to ESPN cannot be understated, and so, when the NBA guru speaks about changes at the network, everyone should listen.
Last week, ESPN laid off more than a dozen of the network’s on-air personalities. These job cuts hit network stalwarts the likes of Jeff Van Gundy, Max Kellerman, Jalen Rose, and Suzy Kolber. While fans were shocked to see some of their favorite ESPN employees let go, the news was even more shocking for their colleagues.
Stephen A. Smith Responds
On the Stephen A. Smith Show, Smith discussed the ESPN layoffs and was quick to point out that his friends and colleague deserved better.
“ESPN laid off about 20 members of its on-air talent… friends of mine, actually, definitely respected colleagues who’d done a phenomenal job and deserved better,” he said. “It’s not Disney or ESPN that they deserved better from, they deserved better than the times we’re living in.”
In particular, Smith was upset about the firing of his friend and NBA Countdown teammate Jalen Rose.
“Got a lot of love for that brother,” said Smith. “A lot of the great work he’s done over the years, what he’s represented for the company… I’m going to miss him. Jalen Rose has always been good to me and I loved working with him on NBA Countdown. He is a brilliant basketball mind, he is somebody that worked his ass off all the time. There was never an assignment he backed away from, there was never a time he didn’t want to work.”
“I Could Be Next”
Perhaps most interesting, however, was Smith’s declaration that the latest round of layoffs, while shocking, would not be the end.
A week after ESPN laid off the likes of Keyshawn Johnson, Matt Hasselbeck, and Todd McShay, Smith even speculated that he could be next.
“If we’re going to be real about it, let’s deal with reality,” he said. “This ain’t the end, more is coming. And yes, ladies and gentlemen, I could be next.”
While it is unlikely that ESPN would lay off Stephen A. Smith, the network star’s comments reveal what the mood is currently like at the Worldwide Leader in Sports.
As for what’s next? That is anybody’s guess.
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