“Wish Him No I’ll-Will”: After Admitting Max Kellerman’s “Stale” Environment, Stephen A. Smith Sends Warm Regards to Fired ESPN Colleague

ESPN’s “First Take” has become a sports commentary fixture, noted for its heated arguments and insights into the sporting world. The charismatic Stephen A. Smith’s constant efforts have made him a household figure in sports media. And it has also been a big factor in the show’s popularity. However, one of the show’s major mysteries has been the not-so-subtle feud between Smith and previous co-host Max Kellerman, which eventually led to Kellerman’s resignation in 2021.

However, recently Smith tried to clear the speculations about Kellerman’s departure. He even took to social media to write about his respect for his former co-host.

Smith takes to social media and talks about the Kellerman issue

Smith and Kellerman co-hosted “First Take” from 2016 to 2021, and there were rumors of chemistry troubles on and off the set during their time together. However, the entire scope of their problems remained widely unknown until Stephen A. Smith publicly spoke up about it on Joe Budden’s show. He admitted, “I didn’t like working with him. I thought the show was stale, I thought that we had flatlined when we came to the public at large, and I’m trying to win. I didn’t want to go from number 1 to number 2 when Skip [Bayless] left, I wasn’t having that. That s*** was not gonna happen.”

Smith praised Kellerman’s brilliance and eloquence, citing his Ivy League degree and ability to talk on a variety of issues. However, he even spoke about the root problem as well. He expressed that he thought he was running the show alone.

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Due to this, the fans thought Smith had some kind of hate toward Kellerman. But Smith took it to social media to explain himself.

He wrote a tweet dedicated to Kellerman and said that he respects him and wished him no ‘I’ll-will’. By giving a clarification about this issue, Smith has made it very clear he has no disputes with his former co-host.

What is Kellerman’s next plan?

Max Kellerman’s exit from ESPN in July 2023 caused shockwaves through the sports media sector. Kellerman’s major contributions to the network, including co-hosting “First Take” and directing “This Just In,” made his departure all the more unexpected. Kellerman left “First Take” at the end of 2021 to join ESPN Radio, where he co-hosted the morning show with Keyshawn Johnson and Jay Williams. At the same time, he took over the afternoon TV slot with “This Just In.”. However, due to shifting dynamics in the media sector, ESPN’s reduction policy resulted in the termination of Kellerman’s contract on July 4, 2023.

His departure sparked a combination of astonishment and conjecture regarding his future professional move. While Kellerman’s future plans are unknown, his previous accomplishments and passion for sports broadcasting assure that he will remain a major figure in the business, leaving an everlasting impact on the world of sports media.

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