Stephen A. Smith explains his 'NBA Countdown' exit: 'I didn't want to be on the show'

Stephen A. Smith is simply a precise engaged man.

He is the prima of ESPN’s “First Take.”

He hosts 2 vigor shows connected SiriusXM.

He has his ain accumulation company.

Since 2021, Smith besides has been an expert connected ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” pre-game and halftime workplace show.

But helium isn’t anymore, astatine slightest not connected a full-time basis.

This week, ESPN announced a caller “NBA Countdown” broadcast squad that features big Malika Andrews and analysts Brian Windhorst, Michael Malone and Kendrick Perkins, with predominant contributions from Shams Charania.

Smith said Tuesday connected “The Stephen A. Smith Show” that helium hadn’t been demoted from his presumption arsenic a amusement regular, arsenic immoderate outlets suggested. Instead, helium said, the alteration was thing helium had asked for portion negotiating his reported five-year, $100-million declaration to stay with the web earlier this year.

Why? Smith said helium simply nary longer has the time.

“I didn’t privation to beryllium connected the show,” Smith said. “I negotiated coming disconnected of it. Now I emotion doing ‘NBA Countdown,’ but erstwhile the countdown amusement is over, I got different things to bash than to beryllium successful studio, watching the doubleheader and coming connected astatine halftimes. I got different worldly that I privation to do, to hole for ‘First Take’ the adjacent day, the adjacent morning, and to bash an abundance of different things that I aspire to do.”

Smith said his departure from “NBA Countdown” had been reported “months ago,” and helium is correct. In breaking the quality of Smith’s caller woody with ESPN successful March, The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand wrote that Smith “will not beryllium a regular connected ESPN’s premiere NBA pregame amusement anymore.”

ESPN did not instantly respond connected Wednesday to a petition for a comment.

Smith added that helium volition proceed to marque predominant impermanent appearances connected respective ESPN shows, and that includes “NBA Countdown.”

“If they request maine successful L.A. for ‘NBA Countdown,’ I’ll beryllium there,” Smith said. “Matter of fact, I person days successful my declaration to beryllium there. I conscionable don’t person to beryllium determination afloat time.”