"Wouldn't even allow me on television": Stephen A. Smith revisits ESPN blacklisting him from live TV for 35 months

Stephen A. Smith is among the notable sports personalities on television. But he said he had his share of struggles and had to persevere to get where he is today.

One of the hosts of the popular ESPN show “First Take,” Smith recently sat down with Gary Brecka on the latter’s Ultimate Human Podcast, to talk about various topics, including how ESPN “blackballed” him from being on television after his contract negotiations with the network fell through in 2009.

Stephen A. Smith said:

“When I got my new contract from ESPN, the contract that I presently have, I had my struggles. I mean and I've had my struggles when they let me go in 2009. I was unemployed for a year you know, I thought I was being blackballed.”

“I came back and even when I came back to ESPN two years later um they restricted me to radio, wouldn't even allow me on television … From May of 2009 to April of 2012 I was not allowed on television, nobody would hire me for television and so I had to go through those things," he added.

Check out what he had to say below, beginning at the 33:56:

Since the rough patch he hit in his broadcast career, Stephen A. Smith has achieved steady success, with his commentaries on television on various sporting affairs, including those on the NBA and NFL, followed widely. He has been quiet on how much he is being paid by ESPN but he is reportedly making $8 million a year.

Of course, he has had his share of testy disagreements with broadcast colleagues along the way. The most recent came with Jason Whitlock and Marcellus Wiley, who criticized him for what they deemed to be a disservice he did to former “First Take” partner Max Kellerman that led to the latter leaving the show in 2022.

Stephen A. Smith denied the accusations hurled against him, saying that while his relationship with Kellerman was not smooth-sailing throughout, he had the utmost respect for him.

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Stephen A. Smith criticizes LeBron James for seeming disrespect to Heat

Stephen A. Smith had a mouthful to say to LA Lakers superstar LeBron James for what he felt was disrespectful to his former team Miami Heat.

The fiery TV host shared on “First Take” a dissenting opinion on James’ claim that his career would still be the same even if he did not play in Miami from 2010 to 2014.

Smith highlighted how playing for the Heat made ‘The King’ a better player as far as acquiring the winning mindset was needed to become a champion and achieve steady success afterward.

He said:

"What the hell is wrong with you LeBron? Because he got to Miami and learned what it took to be a champion, he's been unstoppable since."

LeBron James made the Heat claim during a shootaround ahead of the Lakers’ road game in Miami on Monday. He said that while his time in South Beach was special, punctuated by back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013, he believes that even without the stint there, he would still dominate the game like he has done all his career.

Unfortunately for him and the Lakers, they fell to Miami in the game, 108-107.