Stephen A. Smith again shoots down possible reunion with Skip Bayless

It doesn't sound like ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith and Fox Sports' Skip Bayless will embrace any "First Take" reunion anytime soon. 

"I love Skip. I’m incredibly grateful to him, but I don’t think that will ever happen," Smith said during an appearance on the "Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show," as shared by the Barrett Sports Media website. "I think we’re just going in separate directions. I have aspirations outside the world of sports. If he interviews me for his podcast or I do it for my podcast, that would be different. But on screen together, working together on-screen in a debate format? That’s not something that I think is going to happen." 

For a piece published on Jan. 25, Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reported that Smith and Bayless eventually could "launch their own show on a platform like YouTube" similar to how "The Pat McAfee Show" became an Internet sensation. McCarthy noted at that time that both Smith and Bayless "could" be free agents in 2025. 

Smith and Bayless famously worked together on ESPN's "First Take" from 2012-16 until Bayless moved to Fox to launch the "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed" program that also features Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe. 

Late last month, Smith made it known he is "happier without" having Bayless as an on-air partner and is keen on one day hosting a late-night television show and maybe succeeding Jimmy Kimmel for ABC. 

Smith told the "Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show" he doesn't believe Bayless will return to ESPN. 

"If I’m doing sports, I’ll probably be here, and if I’m doing more than sports — which I definitely plan on doing — that’s not his lane," Smith added. "Skip cares about sports all day, every day, and very little else. So I don’t see that happening." 

Outside of a one-off that could serve as somewhat of a farewell, it seems the Smith-Bayless partnership is permanently a thing of the past.