During a recent episode of First Take, ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins conveyed that he does not believe Minnesota Timberwolves superstar guard Anthony Edwards can be the face of the league. In his opinion, those who hold this title need to be family men, referencing how Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James and Stephen Curry have all been married with kids while playing. Fred Toucher spoke about Perkins’ take on the Wednesday edition of Toucher & Hardy on 98.5 The Sports Hub, but he prefaced such by reflecting on the current state of ESPN specifically through the lens of commentator and analyst Stephen A. Smith.
Smith, who signed a new contract with ESPN that is reportedly for five years and worth more than $100 million, has been a member of First Take since 2012 and appeared alongside Perkins. Both commentators are currently on the road following the NBA Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves to take part in editions of NBA Countdown with Malika Andrews, Bob Myers and Michael Malone. Toucher began his discourse by explaining how Perkins was on “one of the shows with Stephen A. Smith” and has become a star who goes to the studio.
“Stephen A. Smith, to his credit, is very talented, and by that talent, he is on ESPN, as we’ve discussed, he’s in a green-screen prison,” Toucher said. “He is on ESPN 23 hours a day live. I don’t know what show this is on, and I’m not being cute. I couldn’t tell you, you could put a gun to my head.”
Toucher explained that they no longer put ESPN on the television and was not sure if Mike Greenberg was still hosting the morning program. Jon Wallach, anchor at 98.5 The Sports Hub, confirmed that he is still hosting Get Up, leading Toucher to articulate that he knows Smith’s show airs afterwards.
“I think Stephen A. Smith is great that he’s got podcasts and radio and everything else under the sun,” Toucher said. “And by the way, this man has made his fortune in his late 50s, early 60s. This is a guy who was on the grind for a very long time. He was just some Philadelphia Inquirer columnist for a long time.”
Toucher mentioned how it is cool to see some of the high-priced talent at ESPN achieving success in their 60s, referencing Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo and his weekly appearances on First Take. From there, he assured listeners that the people on air do not arrive over-prepared and commented on how Smith had a phone in front of him while Perkins was delivering his take to the audience. Yet Toucher also underscored how he never sees the shows because he is usually sleeping and not at an airport traveling for work.
“These are not on TV to be watched on TV,” Toucher said. “These are on TV to be consumed on the internet later, but have you noticed that they have phones on live TV in front of them. It’s not like Adam Schefter during the Draft or something.”
Toucher also proceeded to criticize First Take in having NBA veteran forwards Marcus and Markieff Morris in their own boxes on the screen despite appearing live in the studios. Earlier in the segment, he questioned Smith’s age after recollecting that he was reading him in the newspaper as a kid. Toucher concluded the discussion surrounding Smith by emphasizing the investment that has been made in him as he also continues to operate his own production company and partake in external ventures.
“The entire budget, as it rightly should, has gone into Stephen A. Smith,” Toucher said. “That I can tell you because it’s a real cheap affair.”
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