A Year Ago Stephen A. Smith Rejected $90 Million From ESPN. Turns Out, That Was A Smart Move

Over the past week, Stephen A. Smith has been in hot water with LeBron James. The longtime reporter and ESPN personality criticized the play of Bronny James and asked the elder James "as a father" to stop insisting he play on the Los Angeles Lakers. James didn't take kindly to that and confronted Smith at a Lakers game. Smith has since gone on his own platforms and other shows as a guest and has addressed the situation with the solemn stiffness of a politician.

It turns out he's going even further down the political route—though he's not fully leaving ESPN. Smith inked a new deal with the network to continue headlining "First Take." The deal, worth at least $100 million over five seasons, would remove him as a regular from ESPN's NBA pregame show "Countdown." He'll also appear less frequently on other programs, giving him more time to talk about politics.

Earlier this year, Smith said he's considering the idea of running for president. He ultimately thinks it would upend his life too much, so he's content to offer his opinions from outside the White House.

Paras Griffin/Getty Images for PrizePicks

Still, as we've seen in 2025, things can change quickly. Maybe by the time 2028 rolls around, Smith will be campaigning for some kind of government office. He certainly has the confidence and networking skills to communicate with all kinds of different people.

Before this new deal, Smith had been making $12 million per year within ESPN. He infamously turned down a $90 million offer in June 2024. This new $100 million extension works out to $20 million per year. He had reportedly been seeking $25-30 million. On the other hand, this new extension appears to have fewer work commitments.

Smith and the other ESPN personalities will be joined by new faces next NBA season. The "Inside the NBA" crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal, will all be joining ABC and ESPN broadcasts.

Will the zany antics they get away with on TNT fly on a national broadcast network owned by Disney? We'll have to see, but we imagine we'll witness at least a couple of Stephen A. vs. Chuck battles out over the airwaves.