Stephen A. Smith โ Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
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Legendary sports personality Stephen A. Smith addressed rumors that he wants $100M from ESPN.
In recent years ESPN made massive cuts to its talent roaster but it was clear Stephen A. Smith wasnโt going anywhere. Next year Smith will be in the last year of his contract with ESPN and rumors suggest negotiations have already begun.
One of the most rampant rumors is that heโs seeking a hefty 5-year contract renewal worth $100M.
According to Complex, SAS addressed the rumors head on this week while appearing on Whoโs Talking To Chris Wallace.
โThe word on the street is that you want something in the range of $100 million for five years, True?โ asked Wallace, to which Smith refused to say an exact number.
โIโm not getting specific as it pertains to numbers, because only a fool discusses his own negotiations while negotiating,โ Smith said. โI would ask, respectfully, pay attention to the industry, see what people are getting paid. See how much money theyโre making and what theyโre bringing to the table. Dak Prescott just signed a contract for $240 million. Heโs making $60 million a year.โ
Host Chris Wallace pushed back on the comparison of an NFL QB like Prescott but of course, Stephen A. shrugged off the difference of opinion. Smith highlighted Dak is one of the highest paid despite not having multiple playoff wins in almost a decade.
โIโm sorry, in our respective industries, I win,โ he continued. โAnd Iโm fully aware of what Iโm worth, and I will never apologize to that for anybody.โ
If weโre being honest, the chances ESPN would ever let Stephen A. Smith walk away are almost slim to none so he may get his $100M asking.
On the other hand, if for some reason he decides to leave he will be just fine as Stephen A. Smith is already dominating on YouTube and fans will go wherever he goes.
You can watch the full exchange between Chris Wallace and Stephen A. below.
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