Overview
- ESPN announced the agreement on Nov. 5, with ESPN PR confirming the multi-year deal.
- Under the pact, Smith’s primary assignment is as a First Take contributor, with additional duties calling select NBA games and occasional NBA Countdown spots.
- He debuted under the new arrangement on Nov. 5 by joining NBA Countdown with Malika Andrews, Kendrick Perkins and Michael Malone ahead of ESPN’s doubleheader.
- The deal does not replace his Inside the NBA role, which remains a Warner Bros. Discovery production now airing on ESPN under a licensing agreement.
- Inside the NBA’s early-season schedule is sparse—with shows set for Nov. 12, Christmas Day and a fuller run beginning Jan. 24—and there are no indications that Barkley, O’Neal or Johnson are taking comparable ESPN roles.