Stephen A. Smith is one of the several talents who are at the center of the ESPN sacking episode rocking the world of sports and sports broadcasting. As many as twenty broadcasters and analysts have been sacked over three rounds of layoffs this year. That the sacking is happening just before the NBA season begins and during the NBA draft has not diluted the media glare on what’s happening.
While several fans have already given their verdict about this sacking on social media networks, one particular actor popular for heading a sports-based franchise has spoken up.
Michael B. Jordan’s one-word comment says it all
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‘Respect’ is what Michael B. Jordan posted on a video where Stephen A. Smith spoke about all the people that ESPN had sacked. Stephen A. described all the people and what they meant to him in the video post on Instagram. He spoke about Neil Everett, Ashley Brewer, Keyshawn Johnson, and others from ESPN and SportsCenter.
The move has shocked the industry. Walt Disney, ‘The House of Mouse’ is being squarely blamed for this move. Disney has been on a takeover spree for a few years now as well, with them taking over Marvel. Since then, there’s been several web series that tell the backstories of the popular Marvel characters.
This particular move has hurt more than 20 broadcasters, who are millionaires in their own right. One such personality who is highly revered is Jeff Van Gundy.
Watch This Story: Was a Loss of $462 Million the Reason Behind the Firing of Stephen Smith’s Millionaire NBA Colleagues?
Gundy joined the channel back in 2007. And in the midst of all this, one fact remains unchanged – Stephen A. Smith has still retained his job. He has his own popularity among NBA fans, and he himself is a die-hard New York Knicks fan.
A celeb commenting on industry changes is rare
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It’s rare for someone like Michael B. Jordan to go public about his thoughts on what’s a business decision. But with that one word, Jordan has added much more value to the conversation with his star power.
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There seem to be several facets to this sacking. With more than 20 front-facing executives, there’s talk that more than 7000 employees could still be facing the axe.