Former ESPN commentator Max Kellerman opened up about his departure from the network and his five-year partnership with Stephen A. Smith on “First Take,” offering candid insights into the pressures of daily sports debate television.

In a recent interview on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Kellerman said he wasn’t bothered by being unable to discuss his exit while others talked about it publicly.

“That doesn’t bother me at all,” Kellerman said, via YouTube . “But I was very flattered that, you know, because if you go off the air, you’re not sure that the sports world would care, right? But people seemed to care.”

Kellerman, who worked alongside Smith for five years, described a professional relationship that differed from his other broadcast partnerships.

“Stephen A. was the one partner

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