Kenny Smith will apparently be wearing another hat as part of a new contract from ESPN.
ESPN announced this week that they have agreed to a new, multi-year deal with the veteran NBA analyst Smith. As part of the deal, Smith will now make regular appearances on “First Take” and will also be guesting on “NBA Countdown” as well as serving as an analyst for select NBA games.
Now 60 years old, the former NBA champion guard Smith had worked at TNT since 1998. But earlier this year, he officially made the move to ESPN along with the rest of the iconic “Inside the NBA” crew (Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Ernie Johnson).
The move came after TNT’s broadcast rights deal with the NBA officially expired upon the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. While there were significant fears about what the ESPN-produced “Inside the NBA” might look like, the program has gotten off to a largely smooth start thus far.
Smith does have experience when it comes to working game broadcasts. In addition to other select appearances, Smith previously called New York Knicks games for MSG Networks in the 2000s and has also done some March Madness games for CBS/Turner. Smith can also be pretty quick-witted on the air and went viral during last year’s NBA playoffs for a savage line about then-New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Meanwhile, it has been a very big last couple of months for “The Jet.” In addition to getting a new contract with ESPN featuring an expanded role, Smith just got engaged to his girlfriend Tia Jurcic last month as well.
