Stephen A. Smith is no stranger to the sports-media spotlight, and the longtime analyst made headlines again Tuesday with news that ESPN’s premier professional basketball program, NBA Countdown , will not feature his commentary this season — for the first time since he joined the show in 2003.

Sports fans quickly speculated whether Smith had been removed from the show, and while ESPN has not issued a formal statement regarding his absence, the veteran analyst addressed the matter himself.

“Apparently it’s breaking news or something like that –Stephen A. Smith is not on NBA Countdown,” he said while speaking on his SiriusXM show.

“I negotiated a new deal with ESPN –a five-year deal –between June of 2024 and March into April of 2025. I didn’t want to be on the show. I negotiated comin

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