ESPN has removed host Stephen A Smith from one of its most popular programs.

Smith, one of the most visible analysts on both mainstream and social media, is known for having an incredible workload. However, it appears he’s scaling back.

The network officially announced its new team for ‘NBA Countdown’ this week. And Smith, who is thought to have gotten some of his coworkers in trouble with The Worldwide Leader in Sports in recent weeks, was a notable absentee.

The show’s new cast includes Kendrick Perkins, Michael Malone, Brian Windhorst, and Shams Charania, with Malika Andrews hosting.

Smith has been a regular on the show since it debuted as ‘NBA Shootaround’ in 2003, and will probably make the odd appearance moving forward. However, he’s no longer part of the main crew.

Stephen A Smith’s Exit From ‘NBA Countdown’ Makes Perfect Sense For Both Him And ESPN

Stephen A. Smith (Photo via ESPN)
The move isn’t a demotion and, according to Awful Announcing, was “widely” expected after the 58-year-old signed his new $105 million deal with the company earlier this year.

Andrew Marchand of The Athletic also revealed as much when detailing Smith’s contract back in March.

“Smith will not be a regular on ESPN’s premiere NBA pregame show anymore, though he could still make occasional appearances on top basketball studio programs, as well as the Monday Night Football pregame or during other big time events,” Marchand wrote.

Smith, who had fans worried when discussing a recent surgery, will still be very busy. Aside from his role as the host of ‘First Take’, he hosts a radio show on SiriusXM and also runs his own YouTube show.

With ‘NBA Countdown’ no longer the biggest basketball show on ESPN, given the arrival of ‘Inside the NBA’, Smith’s exit makes sense for both parties.