Stephen A. Smith has been one of the most notable analysts in the ESPN network. He’s also quite a respected personality among all other sports analysts. His fame has reached a point where he has become a big name for the network when it comes to basketball. But what if he decides to leave the mega-global media house in the future? Well, even though Stephen A. had his ons and offs with the network, he always came back. And at this point in time, ESPN will not let the main man leave so easily.

Recently, ESPN fired NFL analyst Robert Griffin III and Sunday NFL Countdown host, Samantha Ponder. As The Athletic reported, this decision came after the brand’s financial decisions. However, former ESPN employee, Jason Whitlock, hinted that Griffin and Ponder’s fate could have something to do with Smith’s lucrative deal demands. Not only that, but Robert Griffin wasn’t happy himself after hearing the unfortunate news, and he conveyed his emotions through a meme clip from Friday (1995) about getting fired.

“There is a certain broadcaster who wants to be paid $25 million a year and ESPN seems determined to figure out a way to do it. And there are rumors. I hope they are untrue. But there are rumors that they’re trying to figure out a way to get Stephen A. Smtih on the NFL coverage. so could this just be ‘we can take the 4 million or 3 million or 5 million we’re paying to Samantha Ponder pay someone else 500,000 to host the show,'” Whitlock said on Fearless. It could be the reason that Whitlock highlights, however, adding Stephen A. to the NFL coverage wouldn’t be a wise idea.

Apart from being a great analyst, Smith’s rise to fame came with more than one attribute. His early morning rants, heated debates on First Take, his reaction to major trade news, and whatnot! Fans love him more as an entertainer than an analyst. And even if ESPN’s latest decision was made concerning the veteran’s potential 8-figure contract, just a handful of weeks before the NFL season begins, this certainly wasn’t the first time that the network looked after its best analyst.

ESPN prioritized Stephen A. Smith during the Kellerman incident

Yes, the network cannot afford to lose someone like Stephen A. Smith anytime soon. In fact, when it came down to moving forward with First Take, Stephen A. reportedly wanted Max Kellerman off the show. And guess what, Kellerman was not part of First Take ever since, as host Molly Qerim, Kendrick Perkins, and others have been handling the steering wheel alongside the veteran broadcaster. “I didn’t wanna go from No.1 to No.2 when Skip left,” he admitted on the Joe Budden Podcast.

And so, considering history, if ESPN needs some room to facilitate Smith’s contract, there’s less doubt that the network won’t consider adjusting a few employees. “I’ve got to give Stephen A. credit. He’s used that McAfee is such a bad team player to his own advantage. He brings on only ESPN people; McAfee brings on Shams [Charania]. That’s the kind of thing Stephen A. Smith would never do. He lets Pat McAfee frustrate the ESPN executives so much, they’re like, ‘f*** it. Stephen A. is a good team player,’” an anonymous source told Front Office Sports.

Nevertheless, as the network looks forward to prioritizing Stephen A. Smith as their primary NBA analyst, it will be interesting to see whether they plan to let go of more employees. The Wall Street Journal, in the past, has also hailed the veteran broadcaster as ‘The Face of ESPN.’

Stephen A. Smith has turned into a multi-talented host over the years and is actively looking to make a name in the late-night television hosting space too. As of now, he is considered a strong favorite to replace Jimmy Kimmel after this contract expires in 2026.

What are your thoughts on Griffin and Ponder’s recent news? Do you think Stephen A. Smith had any say in the same? Let us know in the comments.

Feel that you can do with another update from the sport of basketball? Then do check out this recent interview with the up-and-coming Georgia Lady Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.