It has been years since Max Kellerman graced the debate desk at ESPN’s “First Take,” and while Stephen A. Smith has not exactly been shy about why he wanted his former partner gone, Kellerman has mostly kept his cards close to the vest. Until now.
Sitting down with Bill Simmons recently, Kellerman finally opened up about the split that shook up sports talk TV in 2021. If you were expecting a tearful reunion or a bitter scorched-earth rant, you do not know Kellerman. Instead, he offered the kind of analytical breakdown. What did he have to say?
The “Muhammad Kellerman” Effect
Kellerman knows he is a handful. In his interview, he did not dance around the competitive tension that defined the show. He basically admitted that debating him is a nightmare—and he loves it.
“If you’re doing a debate show and you’re a competitive person, why would you want me as a partner? That’s bad,” he said. “You want to go 15 rounds every day with ‘Muhammad Kellerman?’ That’s just bad. It’s embarrassing.”
It’s a classic flex. He’s not saying he was fired for being bad at his job; he’s implying he was fired for being too good at making his co-host look bad. Marcellus Wiley, a former colleague of both, backed this up, noting that Kellerman’s intellectual deep dives can make anyone not “standing ten toes down” on their facts look unprepared.
It Was Always About the Money (and the Solo Act)
While Smith has publicly admitted he pushed execs to remove Kellerman because the chemistry “had stalled,” Kellerman sees a different motive: the bag.
“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,” Kellerman said.
Smith wanted the spotlight, the leverage, and the paycheck that comes with being the guy, not one of the guys. And looking at the current iteration of First Take, where Smith holds court with a revolving door of guests, this math seems to check out.
No Love Lost
Perhaps the most telling part of the interview was his assessment of their personal dynamic. “Stephen A. was the one partner I’ve ever had over the years where I didn’t feel like a relationship was really forming,” he said.
For a guy who spent five years sitting across from Smith, that’s cold. But it makes sense. When two massive egos with fundamentally different styles collide, one loud and theatrical, the other analytical and precise, something has to give.
Kellerman has since moved on, recently popping up to announce boxing for Netflix and hosting a show for Ring Magazine. But his final jab at the “First Take” saga proves one thing: he might be off ESPN, but he certainly hasn’t lost his ability to win a debate.
