Malika Andrews has established herself as a premier journalist and reporter in the NBA landscape in merely a couple of years. Joining ESPN in 2018, he’s quickly risen up the ranks and gotten herself a multitude of shows that feature her as the host/moderator.
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Along with hosting NBA Today, she’s also hosting NBA Countdown, both of which are mainstays for ESPN. Another incredibly crucial show for the company is none other than First Take, which features Stephen A. Smith going up against and debating anything relevant in the sporting world with guys like Kendrick Perkins.
Most recently, Smith and Andrews crossed paths when the latter called into the former’s show to disagree with his take on the Ime Udoka situation. This has led to a variety of conversations surrounding the two, with one of them being how much they each earn while working for ESPN.
Also read: Malika Andrews Labeled “Unprofessional” for Laughing at Kendrick Perkins’ Tirade on Ben Simmons
How much do Malika Andrews and Stephen A. Smith earn at ESPN?
Malika Andrews, despite being the face of a multitude of shows across ESPN, reportedly earns anywhere between $50,000 and $78,000 annually, according to sportsbrief. Her net worth has also floated around the $100,000-200,000 range, depending on the source.
Stephen A. Smith on the other hand, earns a reported total of $12 million annually with ESPN. This $12 million is divided into $8 million and $4 million with the former being his base salary and the latter being a production contract.
Smith signed a 5-year contract worth a total of $60 million with ESPN in 2019 but would go on to claim last year that he felt he was underpaid.
What transpired between Malika Andrews and Stephen A. Smith?
When the Ime Udoka situation broke out, the details regarding it were scarce and a bit contradictory. At first, it was reported that the relationship Ime had had was consensual. Then, it was revealed that his advances were not appreciated by the fellow Celtics staffer. Guys like Matt Barnes even stood up for Ime at first before retracting their statements entirely.
Stephen A. Smith went on air to, in some ways, defend Ime, while Malika called into First Take to lambast SAS for pointing fingers. The two would then have a back-and-forth that went viral and seemingly drove a wedge between their relationship with one another.
