{"id":1719,"date":"2025-11-05T22:49:32","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T22:49:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/?p=1719"},"modified":"2025-11-28T01:15:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T01:15:27","slug":"kenny-the-jet-smith-expands-espn-presence-beyond-inside-the-nba-in-multiyear-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/sports-media\/kenny-the-jet-smith-expands-espn-presence-beyond-inside-the-nba-in-multiyear-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenny \u2018The Jet\u2019 Smith Expands ESPN Presence Beyond Inside the NBA in Multiyear Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ESPN is set to feature significantly more of Kenny \u201cThe Jet\u201d Smith across its basketball portfolio, marking a notable expansion of the two-time NBA champion\u2019s on-air footprint beyond his longstanding role on <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inside the NBA<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The network\u2019s PR team confirmed the development on Wednesday, revealing that Smith will join the flagship debate program <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First Take<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as a regular contributor while also stepping in as a color analyst for select NBA broadcasts. His integration begins immediately, with a guest spot scheduled on <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NBA Countdown<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Wednesday night ahead of the primetime matchup.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Kenny Smith&#8217;s expanded role at ESPN<\/strong><\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Inside the NBA\u2019s Kenny Smith (<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheJetOnTNT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@TheJetOnTNT<\/a>) will appear on additional ESPN programming &#8211; including <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FirstTake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@FirstTake<\/a> &#8211; as part of a new, multi-year agreement <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1A0DBGtNfa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/1A0DBGtNfa<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ESPNPR\/status\/1986154761272299994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 5, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The agreement, described as multiyear, operates independently of Smith\u2019s existing contract with TNT Sports, where he remains a core member of the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inside the NBA<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ensemble alongside Charles Barkley, Shaquille O\u2019Neal, and Ernie Johnson.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This dual-network arrangement underscores Smith\u2019s unique position in the evolving media landscape following the NBA\u2019s seismic rights shift, which will see <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/sports-media\/inside-the-nba-remains-steady-in-espn-debut\/\" target=\"_self\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inside the NBA<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> migrate to ESPN\/ABC platforms starting with the 2025-26 season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The move raises eyebrows given Barkley\u2019s public stance against fragmenting the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inside<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> crew across ESPN\u2019s broader ecosystem. The Hall of Famer has repeatedly emphasized his desire to keep the iconic panel intact and contained to its signature studio format, citing a preference for preserving the show\u2019s chemistry rather than diluting it through additional appearances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet Barkley himself maintains a robust presence on external platforms, including recurring guest spots on <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Dan Patrick Show<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Rich Eisen Show<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014the latter now syndicated daily across ESPN Radio and streaming on Disney+.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No parallel expansions have been announced for Barkley, O\u2019Neal, or Johnson at ESPN proper. However, Barkley, Johnson, and Smith\u2014are expected this spring to work under the TNT Sports\/CBS Sports banner for comprehensive coverage of the NCAA Men\u2019s Basketball Tournament. The trio has been a March Madness staple since 2011, with the exception of the COVID-canceled 2020 edition, blending their irreverent <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inside<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> energy with collegiate hoops analysis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smith\u2019s increased ESPN visibility addresses a scheduling quirk created by the network\u2019s broadcast calendar. Whereas <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inside the NBA<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> once anchored Thursday nights on TNT, ESPN\u2019s loaded slate\u2014including ABC\u2019s high-profile Saturday Primetime and Sunday Showcase windows\u2014pushes the program toward a backloaded structure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The show will now prioritize airings around marquee regular-season clashes, and the entirety of the postseason, leaving gaps that Smith\u2019s new roles are poised to fill.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Stephen A. Smith&#8217;s relation to Kenny Smith<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First Take<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> pairing carries personal resonance. The Queens, New York native will share the desk with Stephen A. Smith, a fellow borough product who once suited up for Kenny\u2019s brother Vincent\u2019s AAU squad in the late 1980s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their shared geography and history have already produced memorable television: during last December\u2019s NBA In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas, a joint ESPN\/TNT crossover segment saw Kenny\u2014renowned for his 89.4% career free-throw percentage\u2014stunned in a charity shooting contest by the bombastic analyst. The lighthearted defeat instantly went viral and underscored the duo\u2019s natural rapport.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Inside the NBA on ESPN<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Early returns suggest a seamless transition. Just weeks into the arrangement, Smith has settled comfortably into ESPN. The network has drawn acclaim for preserving <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inside the NBA<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2019s irreverent soul amid the platform switch\u2014retaining the original set design, signature segments like \u201cShaqtin\u2019 a Fool,\u201d and the panel\u2019s unscripted dynamic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For ESPN, <a  href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kenny_Smith\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Smith<\/a> represents a versatile Swiss Army knife: a championship pedigree, broadcast polish honed over two decades, and an ability to pivot between studio debate, play-by-play booths, and digital content without missing a beat. His expanded footprint also signals the network\u2019s intent to maximize crossover appeal as it integrates the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inside<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> brand into its ecosystem.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the regular season accelerates toward playoff intensity, viewers can expect \u201cThe Jet\u201d to touch down across ESPN\u2019s airwaves with greater frequency\u2014whether breaking down the latest controversy on <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First Take<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, calling a pivotal fourth-quarter run from courtside, or reprising his role as the voice of reason amid Barkley\u2019s bombast.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In an era of media fragmentation, Smith\u2019s omnibus presence reaffirms a simple truth: proven personalities remain the ultimate currency.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ESPN is set to feature significantly more of Kenny \u201cThe Jet\u201d Smith across its basketball portfolio, marking a notable expansion of the two-time NBA champion\u2019s on-air footprint beyond his longstanding role on Inside the NBA.\u00a0 The network\u2019s PR team confirmed the development on Wednesday, revealing that Smith will join the flagship debate program First Take [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5665,"featured_media":1722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[267,275,238,285],"tags":[75,293,326],"class_list":["post-1719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-espn","category-nba-tv","category-sports-media","category-tnt","tag-featured","tag-inside-the-nba","tag-kenny-smith"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5665"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1719"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1719\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1723,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1719\/revisions\/1723"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}