According to reports, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN will not be participating in the NBA Countdown for the rest of the season. The announcement was made on Monday. One of the show’s regular hosts, Stephen A. Smith, was conspicuously absent when ESPN revealed the lineup for its “NBA Countdown” team on Monday, November 17. Following the unveiling of ESPN’s NBA Countdown team on X, Smith’s absence from the starting lineup became evident. A number of well-known performers, like Brian Windhorst and Malika Andrews, were on the roster, but Stephen A. was conspicuously absent before the show’s premiere.
Stephen A. Smith’s sudden departure reshapes ESPN’s NBA Countdown era
For the first time in more than 20 years, Smith will not be participating in the NBA Countdown. The television personality first appeared on NBA Shootaround, the show’s predecessor, and continued to do so after it was renamed to its current title in 2012.In 2003, Smith made his network debut as basketball analyst on the “NBA Countdown” predecessor, “NBA Shootaround.” The show was later renamed to its present title in 2012. Smith continued to appear on the ESPN show for the duration of its existence despite the name change.Replacing Smith, NBA-winning coach Mark Malone and Kendrick Perkins are reportedly joining Brian Windohorst and Malika Andrews. Shams Charania will appear as a reporter on the program in the interim.Windhorst just inked a multi-year contract agreement with the network, according to ESPN. He will work as an analyst with Malone and Perkins. For her third season, Charania will continue to make frequent appearances and provide news and information as a reporter while Andrews continues to serve as the show’s host.Throughout the 2025-2026 season, the program will spearhead pregame and halftime coverage for a few NBA game nights on ESPN. This Wednesday, November 19, at 6:30 p.m. ET, the new team will premiere on ESPN and the ESPN app.Viewers will witness some new technology improvements for the most recent season of the show, which will be filmed at the cutting-edge ESPN NBA studio in Los Angeles. For the “NBA Countdown” and “NBA Today” experts, this incorporates Virtual Reality 2.0. As stated in the news release from the network:“The VR technology takes fans into a virtual NBA environment where Michael Malone, Kendrick Perkins and Chiney Ogwumike (‘NBA Today‘) will be immersed in the virtual NBA action. This technology made its debut during ESPN’s 2025 Western Conference Finals coverage and returns with an upgraded version featuring photo realistic player avatars and a stabilized first person POV.”Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith is yet to comment on the whole thing. Also read: A bold new chapter unfolds as Kenny Smith steps into Stephen A. Smith’s spotlight with a surprising twist
