“First Take” anchor Stephen A. Smith stated ESPN coworkers who were laid off “deserved muchbetter.”
“ESPN simply the other day laid off about 20 members of its on-air skill,” Smith stated on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on Monday. “Friends of myown, infact, certainly appreciated coworkers who haveactually done a sensational task and shouldhave muchbetter. But it’s not Disney or ESPN that they shouldhave muchbetter from, they shouldhave muchbetter than the times we are living in.”
Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber, Keyshawn Johnson, Jalen Rose and Max Kellerman were amongst the on-air skill let go by ESPN in the newest round of layoffs last week as part of momsanddad business Disney’s cost-cutting steps. Smith stated this isn’t the end of the layoffs, including, “more is coming.”
“Yes, women and gentleman, I might be next,” Smith stated. “My eyes are broad open now. I’m neverever comfy. I neverever take anything for given and I neverever presume that I am safe.”
WHAT WE KNOW: ESPN layoffs consistof Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber
Smith took a minute to shout out numerous associates, consistingof Rose, a “brilliant basketball mind” that appeared on “NBA Countdown” togetherwith Smith, and Van Gundy, ESPN’s top NBA color expert who Smith called “a Hall of Fame expert and analyst.”
“Jeff was an exceptional, fantastic basketball expert for ESPN for years. I might state I’m gonna missouton him however I simply can’t thinkof he’s gonna be out of work for long,” Smith stated of Van Gundy, who was part of the network’s “A group” togetherwith play-by-play an