Patrick Beverley recently turned many heads after joining Barstool Sports as their new podcast content creator. In Bev’s latest interaction with D’Angelo Russell, the duo discussed Bev joining Barstool and ESPN firing their premier analysts. With this, there is a much more likely chance of Stephen A. Smith also being fired from his role in First Take. Smith has not shied away from lashing ESPN for their latest firing spree of their employees in 2023.
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While speaking to Bev, Russell believes that Pat Bev, Draymond Green, and others should be likely contenders for Stephen A. Smith’s job as an ESPN analyst. This came in right after Smith praised Russell for being undervalued, calling upon the Lakers to pay him at least $27,000,000 annually. This response came in from Stephen A. right after Pat Bev and D’Angelo Russell discussed Russell being underrated by the Lakers management on Bev’s podcast.
D’Angelo Russell brings up names to replace Stephen A. Smith on First Take on Pat Beverley’s podcast
Many believe that Stephen A. Smith’s job at ESPN is at risk and D’Angelo Russell is one of them. Perhaps, with the rise of new podcast hosts and analysts, Russell thinks that it is high time Pat Bev, Draymond Green, J.J. Redick, and others take up the rein from legendary sports analysts at ESPN. This is because many former and current players are becoming great podcast hosts and analysts in sports journalism.
“I’ve seen a lot of personalities in our space doing it. You [Pat Bev] are a personality. A lot of guys are quiet, a lot of guys don’t speak, a lot of guys are in their shell. And you see the guys that are personalities, kind of thriving in that space. Draymond, yourself, look at JJ Redick. Like, as soon as ESPN laid all those guys off, I was like they about to hire Pat Bev, they about to hire Draymond, they about to hire all these dudes. Cause I’m like, ‘Why wouldn’t y’all? Like y’all don’t think what Stephen A. doing? Like you can do what Stephen A. doing bro.”
Speaking further to Pat Bev, D’Angelo Russell claimed how many analysts, including Stephen A. Smith, have lost their respect over the years. While describing the ESPN analyst, Russell was very well aware of the consequences of his words. Clarifying he meant no disrespect and asked Stephen A. not to rant about him in his YouTube podcast show.
“They lost a lot of respect from guys. However he did it over the years, no disrespect to Stephen A., don’t go on a rant on your radio show about me, I’m cool. But I’m just saying like when you got a player in that space, the respect you lose from guys because you didn’t play.”
Previously, Undisputed co-star and analyst Skip Bayless mentioned that Pat Bev had the potential to be a future analyst after harsh criticism of Chris Paul. In 2022, Bev found himself in the middle of trolling and controversies after harsh criticism of CP3. Bayless believes that Bev’s extremely outspoken personality and good basketball knowledge might help him pursue a second career as an analyst.
Stephen A. Smith once ranted about Paul George for calling his take ‘dumb’
Stephen A. Smith is known for his much opinionated and heated takes about players in the NBA. In one of his takes, Smith claimed Clippers’ Paul George was wasting his $121.1 million salary for missing 119 games out of 308 regular season games. On that note, Stephen A. said,
“$121.1 million in salary paid to you both for missed games. I don’t see the Clipper fans getting any refunds. I still am waiting for that championship from the fairweather stepchild known as the Clippers compared to the Lakers. Even though I think the Clippers are first class organization and (Paul George), your day is coming.”
Meanwhile, Stephen A. lashed out at Smith for calling him dumb. He said George should have invited and talked to him on his podcast. However, there has been no reply from PG13 after Stephen A. used game stats to slam George for calling his take dumb.
