In the latest chapter of the ongoing saga between former ESPN personality Marcellus Wiley and ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith, Wiley took direct aim at Smith over recent comments made on Smith’s YouTube show, where he denied playing a role in Max Kellerman’s departure from ESPN. Wiley, a former colleague of both men, responded with a fiery video of his own, offering a starkly different version of events—and warning there’s more he’s still holding back.
At the heart of Wiley’s response to Smith was the contention that Smith wanted Kellerman off First Take not just for chemistry reasons, but because of image and control. He claimed that Smith sought a more stereotypical on-air dynamic—a “white guy” counterpart reminiscent of his earlier days with Skip Bayless—and underestimated Kellerman’s intellect and cultural awareness.
“Two things I know for a fact: You wanted Max to be the white guy to talk about the white issues. But Max wasn’t that dude,” Wiley said. “Max is blacker than you, as T.O. [Terrell Owens] told the world. Whether you agree or not, Max knew more about black culture than you did. That bothered you.”
Wiley added that Smith’s desire to dominate debates backfired when paired with Kellerman, whom he repeatedly described as a “genius.”
“You picked the wrong dude,” he said. “You can’t pick Max if you want to out-debate him and outsmart him every day. Not going to happen.”
Wiley continued with his response saying, “You got mad. How do I know that? I watched. People told me. People that watched told me, whatever that means. That don’t mean he blacker than you, but you took it that way because that means you got your own insecurities, partner.”
Smith posted a nearly 13-minute video to his YouTube channel Tuesday in which he addressed a wave of criticism he’s received in recent months. From allegations that he was visibly upset over Max Kellerman landing a high-profile boxing assignment, to commentary on him playing solitaire during NBA Finals coverage, the First Take host set the record straight.
Wiley, who spent more than a decade at ESPN, asserted that he remains in close contact with numerous current and former staffers at the network—people who, according to him, paint a very different picture than the one Smith is promoting publicly.
“Don’t do that,” Wiley said firmly, referencing Smith’s denial. “I didn’t make up one thing about the Max Kellerman story from my old videos. And to be real, I didn’t even say everything I know. Not even half of it.”
Wiley said that while he’s been away from the network for many years, he still gets insights from those inside the halls of ESPN about Smith and the environment of their surroundings.
“You think the people stopped calling me, stopped texting me?” Wiley asked rhetorically. “Come on, man. I protect those cats—the guilty people who don’t like you but act like they do because they’ve got to.”
Wiley closed his remarks by suggesting there’s still more to the story, and hinted that if Smith continues to press the issue, he might reveal it.
“There’s more. And you know there’s more. And if you really want to go there—I don’t think you want to go there.”
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