Ever since his cohost Max Kellerman was removed from ESPN's sports debate show First Take, the always outspoken Stephen A. Smith has not been shy about his desire for the pair to part ways. He went into great detail on the topic with Jimmy Traina on the SI Media Podcast in September, saying that the two did not work well as a team anymore.
Speaking in an interview with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, one of Smith's new First Take counterparts, on Thursday, Smith elaborated on what led to the erosion of his and Kellerman's working relationship.
“I was very, very honest about me saying that I thought the show needed a change. But what I also said to the bosses was, ‘Listen, I think our time together has passed. If you want to keep him on the show and not me, and you want me to do something else that you think I could be more beneficial and more profitable for the company, so be it,’” Smith said. “But in the end, I knew it was time for us to part ways.”
