Just a short two months after ending his Fox Sports Radio morning show, Stephen A. Smith has resurfaced at his old employer, ESPN. He’ll host two daily radio shows, one on ESPN Radio in New York and the other on KSPN in Los Angeles. In addition, he’ll write columns for ESPNNY.com as well as ESPNLA.com. He’ll also be heard on ESPN Radio’s coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend and the NBA Finals. So Stephen wasn’t without a job for long and we’ll see how long he stays with the Alleged Worldwide Leader. Stephen appears to get bored easily and takes off.
Here’s the press release.
Stephen A. Smith Returning to ESPN
Stephen A. Smith is returning to ESPN as a local radio host and ESPN.com columnist. Smith will host a pair of two-hour, weekday local radio shows – one airing on 1050 ESPN (WEPN-AM) in New York from 7-9 p.m. ET and another on 710 ESPN (KSPN-AM) in Los Angeles from 6-8 p.m. PT. Both shows will focus on local sports topics, with a concentration on the NBA on game nights (1050 ESPN is the flagship station for the Knicks and 710 ESPN for the Lakers). Smith will begin to contribute to both stations this week. Smith will also cover NBA All-Star events and The Finals on ESPN Radio. Additionally, Smith will be a featured ESPN.com columnist, writing regularly for ESPNLA.com and ESPNNY.com.
“Stephen A. consistently offers strong opinions on a wide variety of topics,” said Norby Williamson, executive vice president, production. “He has a proven track record as an authoritative voice, which will lead to insightful conversation leading into Knicks and Lakers game coverage.”
“Words cannot express how excited I am to return to ESPN,” said Smith. “The five-plus years I spent here in my previous stint were unquestionably the best years of my professional career. To have the opportunity to return to a place where I have an abundance of friends – with individuals whose contributions to my life, both professionally and personally, deserves far more credit than I can describe – simply makes my return that much more special. I’m sincerely grateful. And very, very ready. As in right now. Let’s go!”
Smith made a variety of contributions to ESPN from 2003-08. Smith hosted The Stephen A. Smith Show on ESPN Radio from 2005-08. He was also the host of ESPN2’s Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith, a one-hour show featuring sports news, commentary on sports issues, and interviews, from 2005-07. Smith joined ESPN in 2003 as an analyst for the network’s NBA Shootaround (since renamed NBA Countdown) pregame show. He also regularly appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, ESPN2’s First Take and as guest host of Pardon the Interruption and Jim Rome is Burning.
Smith most recently hosted a morning show on Fox Sports Radio. Previously, Smith held several positions – most recently as a general sports columnist – during 16 years with the Philadelphia Inquirer (1994-2010). Prior to joining the Inquirer, Smith was a reporter with the Winston-Salem Journal, the Greensboro News and Record and the New York Daily News.
I think I’ll be taking a break from the blog this evening, unless something breaks.
