Stephen A. Smith Reacts to Molly Qerim's ESPN Exit

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00:00Stephen A. Washington alongside ESPN Stephen A. Smith.

00:03Stephen A., I want to start with the news today of your partner,

00:06Molly Karam, no longer ESPN.

00:08What was your initial reaction with that?

00:09I was surprised, obviously a bit shocked, because she abruptly resigned.

00:14That's unfortunate, but I know that I'm thankful for the 10 years that we had

00:17together.

00:18We've had a great relationship over the years.

00:20I think she's absolutely wonderful as a person, as a human being.

00:24She's obviously a significant part of the show, and I'm going to miss her.

00:29She knows that.

00:30She and I spoke earlier today.

00:31She knows that.

00:32She knows how I feel about her, and we're going to always be friends,

00:35and we were partners for 10 years, and so you can never erase those memories.

00:39I understand, but a lot of times things go on during negotiations that have nothing

00:43to do with anybody on the outside, and you just reach a breaking point, and whatever

00:48that was, that was what it was for her.

00:51So I understand it.

00:52I respect it, but it's certainly not a date for me to celebrate, to be honest

00:56with you.

00:57It's been so fun to watch over the years.

00:59It's also been fun to watch your evolution, just getting involved in so many aspects of

01:02ESPN.

01:03With Inside the NBA, I'm curious, will we see you?

01:06Will you be wanting to make some appearances on there as well?

01:09Because it feels like you are everywhere in terms of ESPN coverage.

01:11That's totally up to them.

01:13Jimmy Bataro has made it very, very clear that he would love for me to continue doing stuff

01:17with the NBA.

01:18But as I told him, and as I told Barkley, and Kenny Smith, and others, I only want what they

01:23want.

01:24They're the A-team, and they've been the A-team for decades for a reason.

01:27They're absolutely wonderful, even though they were on a different network.

01:30They're all personal friends of mine.

01:32Shaquille O'Neal and I, Kenny Smith and I, Charles Barkley and I, I go back 20, 25 years

01:38with each of them, if not more.

01:40And so I love them like brothers.

01:42I respect the hell out of them.

01:44I adore them.

01:45They're my brothers.

01:46And them coming to ESPN is a tremendous, tremendous thing for us, which I'm very excited about and

01:52very happy about.

01:54And so to me, I'm there.

01:55I got enough jobs.

01:56I got enough things that I'm doing, and I'm doing my own thing.

02:00But if they ever need me to come down to Atlanta, to be in studio with them, to go to the playoffs

02:05or the finals with them, or whatever it is that they need, I will be there for whatever

02:09they want me to be there for.

02:11But it's their show, and it's their call, and I totally understand that, and that's what

02:15I insisted upon.

02:16I will never do it unless they ask me to.

02:20I could see that.

02:20Same thing with football.

02:21Any expectation?

02:22I know there's been talk of your role expanding Monday Night Football, anything like that,

02:26that you're wanting to dip your toes into even more?

02:28Well, I'm going to be doing at least three Monday Night Football games this year.

02:30I'm going to be at the Lions when they go to Baltimore.

02:34Next Monday, I'm going to be at Arizona when they go to Dallas.

02:37I think that's week 10.

02:39I'm going to be at the Eagles when they go to the Los Angeles Chargers in week 15, if

02:44I remember correctly.

02:45And those are just the three that I know about.

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