“My A** is on the Line”: Stephen A. Smith Opens Up to Kevin Garnett on Max Kellerman’s Firing, Months after Burying the Ex-ESPN Analyst

The voice of Stephen A. Smith is married to the NBA. Not many journalists can say that about themselves; over the years, Smith’s iconic opinions and his show ‘First Take’ are where most fans seek their dose of basketball analysis firsthand. However, there have been two notable rifts in the show, starting with the departure of Skip Bayless. The other one was when Max Kellerman’s Bayless replacement was also off the air.

In a recent conversation with Kevin Garnett, Stephen A. Smith clarified his end of what went down. “First Take is a very big deal cuz I’m the executive producer of First Take, too. They gave me that title three years ago. They said, ‘it’s your show’…But it was in the aftermath of Max Kellerman being gone, and I knew that it was like my a** is on the line,” he said.

The ESPN broadcaster has also shared the actual reason for his rift with Kellerman many times before. Particularly in an interview with Sports Illustrated where he said, “I didn’t like it. I thought the show was stale. I thought that we had flatlined when it came to the public at large. I didn’t want to go from No. 1 to No. 2. when Skip [Bayless] left.”

Smith further explained, “I had mad respect for him from the standpoint of white dude, highly intelligent, Ivy League–educated from Columbia. Smart as a whip. Can talk his ass off. Can talk about anything. I get all that. But you weren’t an athlete, and you weren’t a journalist. And the absence of the two components left people wondering, ‘Why should we listen to you?’”

Since Stephen A. Smith has taken over ‘First Take’, it remains the No. 1. show. However, he still faces competition from Skip on ratings.

Stephen A. Smith faces rating challenges from Skip Bayless

Ever since Bayless left ‘First Take’, he has competed with Stephen A. Smith. With his show ‘Undisputed’ on Fox Sports, Skip gives his hot takes to rival Stephen A. However, their rating wars are not close, as evidenced by the numbers. On the morning of last month’s NFL Draft, Undisputed averaged 45,000 viewers. First Take, meanwhile, averaged 482,000 viewers in April.

Thus, Stephen A. Smith is not only stomping on Skip; he’s miles ahead. In a victory lap, the ‘First Take’ host boasted about this stark difference, claiming, “It’s been very, very lopsided. And I take no joy in saying that, because I want Skip to be successful. I’m going to always be grateful for what he did to me.”

Ratings don’t always dictate which show is better, but they sure do tell whose opinion the fans seek more. Whose show do you prefer, Stephen A. Smith or Skip Bayless? Let us know in the comments down below.