Stephen A. Smith will likely be on the ESPN airwaves for a good while longer.
The man, the myth, the legend will continue to fire off his thoughts on sports and beyond on First Take, The Stephen A. Smith Show, and seemingly every other show across all ESPN platforms for the foreseeable future on what is expected to be the richest deal for an ESPN personality ever. Smith, per the New York Post, will make nearly $10 million per year on his upcoming extension.
It wasn’t a guarantee that Smith would remain with ESPN once his deal runs up in two years, as he told us last year he would explore opportunities beyond ESPN and outside the realm of sports. It appears ESPN is willing to pay him handsomely to stick around, and that likely means they’ll also acquiesce to his preferred destination of Los Angeles as his home base in the near future, as well as a move from the morning to primetime.
In any case, it’s a time for celebration for Smith and those that love him on TV (or love to hate him), and he gave us some vintage Stephen A. to enjoy on Thursday. Smith posted a video of him firing up shots in Oklahoma City before a Finals game in 2012, getting buckets in his extremely baggy suit.
Even with a baggy suit, ya boy still gets buckets 😉😉😉 #TBT pic.twitter.com/AJZPmwYSvI
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) April 4, 2019
Shooting in a suit is hard, first off, but Smith’s jumper looks pretty solid even if a bit catapult-y and quick. He’s got some range out to the corner three, and flashes a little handle with a spin move before missing a layup at the end. For those that question Stephen A.’s credentials on the court, here’s your chance to measure your own game against his skills.
