Stephen A. Smith Confirms Rumors He Removed Max Kellerman Off First Take

Stephen A.  is still trying to clear up the rumors regarding Max’s exit from ESPN’s fake debate show, First Take. Smith also speaks about wanting to be a late night host in the near future, but first he addressed the rumors.  Smith elaborated on his thought process during an appearance on New York City morning radio program “Ebro in the Morning.”

“The rumors are accurate in terms of me wanting him off the show. Let’s get that out of the way,” Smith said.

Smith maintained the two had a good relationship, and that he actually liked Max.

SAS thinks their on-air chemistry had gotten stale.

“Sometimes it just stalls,” said Smith. “And the audience lets you know that it is what it is, and you feel the need for something fresh, you feel the need to retool. … It’s not like I wanted the guy to be fired or anything like that. I knew that there were landing spots for him available at this network that would generate just as much, if not more, revenue for him and all of that other stuff. It wasn’t really about asking him to be off the show. It was about the fact that we, together, as far as I was concerned, was not a great partnership anymore, and that was something that needed to change.”

"The rumors are accurate in terms of me wanting him off the show… A lot of people don't realize not just the work that goes into it, but it's a chemistry you have and sometimes it just stalls."

Stephen A. Smith on wanting Max Kellerman off First Takepic.twitter.com/hqZmms2kJC

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) September 10, 2021

Stephen A. Smith could have played this situation in a number of different ways. Of course with an EGO of his size he’s going to own up to the fact he personally removed Max off the show.

It’s Stephen A.’s World, we’re just living in it.

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