ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has an argument as the biggest face and personality in sports media today, and perhaps even of all time. ESPN is well aware of this and has rewarded him generously.
Smith recently signed a $105 million deal with the network. However, many fans have grown tired of Smith’s boisterous personality and what seems to be an ever-growing ego, especially in light of Smith starting to cover politics and even hinting at a potential presidential run.
These fans have called for the removal of Stephen A. Smith from being shoved in their faces all the time, especially in his NBA coverage, where he, at times, behaves as if he is a bigger star than the actual players.
Those fans have gotten their wish, to some extent. Smith joined NBA Countdown in 2003 and has been entrenched as a staple of the program since 2021. However, the network officially announced its NBA Countdown crew on Monday, and Smith was nowhere to be found, per Awful Announcing.
Stephen A. Smith officially no longer a part of ‘NBA Countdown’ https://t.co/sVklVntyO0 pic.twitter.com/KbAo3Qyt3H
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 18, 2025
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“Makes NBA Countdown infinitely more watchable,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“I make actually watch now!” someone else added.
It’ll be interesting to see if this is a double-edged sword for fans, and Smith begins to make more appearances elsewhere on the network.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.