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Max Kellerman Details Contentious Split with Stephen A. Smith, Cites “Fundamental Incompatibility”
ESPN’s former “frist Take” personality, Max Kellerman, has publicly addressed the long-rumored tensions with Stephen A. Smith that ultimately lead to his departure from the network, offering his most candid explanation to date during an appearance on the Bill Simmons Podcast. After a period of relative silence following his exit from ESPN in 2023, kellerman reflected on his career trajectory and the factors contributing to the breakdown of his partnership with Smith.
For years, Kellerman largely avoided direct commentary on his dynamic with Smith, but this recent conversation marks a significant shift. He explained that the core of the issue stemmed from a fundamental clash in approaches. “If you’re doing a debate show and you’re a competitive person, why would you wont me as a partner? That’s bad,” Kellerman stated, directly referencing Smith.
Kellerman characterized working with Smith as an exhausting and relentless challenge, playfully suggesting it was akin to a grueling boxing match. “You want to go 15 rounds every day with ‘muhammad Kellerman?'” he asked rhetorically. “That’s just bad.It’s embarrassing.” He further suggested that Smith’s ambition to be the sole focal point of “First Take” played a crucial role in their professional separation. “That’s what I could tell you from my point of view,” Kellerman added.
He posited that financial incentives may have also been a factor, stating, “I also think that if you make a calculation, that if you can be perceived as a solo act, really, that you can get paid at a certain level that you can’t if you’re not a solo act, then you’d like to be a solo act, or at least perceived that way.”
Former ESPN colleague Marcellus Wiley, who previously worked with both Kellerman and Smith, corroborated Kellerman’s assessment during a recent segment on his YouTube channel.”I know what Stephen A. Smith felt working with Max Kellerman. I felt the same thing,” Wiley shared. He described Kellerman’s intellectual rigor as potentially unsettling for those unprepared for a deeply analytical exchange,noting,”Max is so smart that when you talk,if you’re not standing 10 toes down on what you’re talking about… some of that may start getting a little bit looser from where you really have your core beliefs.”
Wiley also emphasized Smith’s potential discomfort with Kellerman’s analytical depth, stating, “Max is a whole different animal than most players. Most people in this industry you can go toe-to-toe with… but when it comes to that, there’s also an ego at play.”
Smith has previously acknowledged his role in initiating Kellerman’s removal from “First Take” in 2021, bringing an end to their often-contentious, yet popular, partnership. following this, Kellerman was moved to “keyshawn, JWill & Max,” which was subsequently canceled in 2023, ultimately leading to his complete departure from ESPN.
