Former ESPN Star Praises Max Kellerman For Hitting Back At Stephen A. Smith

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Dec 4, 2025 5:46 PM ET

Former First Take co-host Max Kellerman had a lot to say about his ex-partner Stephen A. Smith this week and he's getting some praise from former ESPN talents.

In an interview with Bill Simmons, Kellerman declared that Smith doesn't really do "hot takes" or "debate" and prefers to simply react to what other people are saying in a performative way. He said that Smith couldn't handle having to actually debate him on substance rather than feelings.

“If you’re doing a debate show and you’re a competitive person, why would you want me as a partner?” Kellerman remarked. “That’s bad. You want to go 15 rounds every day with ‘Muhammad Kellerman?’ That’s just bad. It’s embarrassing.”

Michelle Beadle speaks out

For former ESPN star Michelle Beadle, Kellerman's words were a wakeup call. On Wednesday's episode of Beadle and Decker, she and her partner Cody Decker praised Kellerman for having the guts to speak out about Smith.

“I’d like to shout out Max Kellerman,” Beadle said. “We’ve been waiting for you to start talking, friend. We’ve been waiting on this day for a while.”

Decker said that Kellerman is a pretty smart guy before implying that Stephen A. Smith is not.

“You know who isn’t smart? I’m not going to say it-" Decker said.

“You don’t have to. People know what’s up," Beadle replied.

NEWBURY PARK, CA - MARCH 28: ESPN talent Michelle Beadle speaks during a panel for the Her Time To Play basketball clinic hosted by JR.NBA and WNBA with on March 28, 2019 at Mamba Sports Academy in Newbury Park, California. (Photo by Will Navarro/NBAE via Getty Images)Will Navarro/Getty Images

Beadle has more of a personal gripe with Smith than a mere distaste for his content. Last summer her show on SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio was replaced by Smith's show.

Last month she said that she would "pray for the downfall" of Smith after the solitaire app controversy that emerged.

“Honestly, I’m not a religious person, but I pray for the downfall,” Beadle said in early-November, via Awful Announcing. “It’s gross, man, you gotta have principles in this thing.

“ESPN pays him a gazillion dollars to get a lot of stuff wrong and yell. He gets caught playing solitaire during the NBA freaking Finals. You created this monster. He is bigger than you now, and that’s exactly your fault. You let him run rampant all over that company.

“He made you look like fools for handing him a blank check in the first place. “He doesn’t even give a (expletive) about the stuff that he’s paid a gazillion dollars to talk about. Now he’s turning around and turning that into a money-making opportunity. Then the money-making opportunity looks like it’s a fraudulent crap business to begin with.”

Suffice it to say, Kellerman's words were like a breath of fresh air for her.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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