UDONIS Haslem won over ESPN viewers after replacing Stephen A. Smith on First Take.
The veteran sportscaster was unexpectedly absent from Thursday’s edition of the sports debate show.
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Stephen A. has complained in recent days about his grueling NBA Finals schedule.
The 56-year-old appears daily on First Take and led ABC’s NBA Countdown during the postseason.
Smith pretended to faint on air during Tuesday’s taping in New York.
He claimed to be “tired as hell” and jokingly put your head on the table after remembering that the NBA Draft was still to come later this month.
“No, Stephen A. today, I let him take the day off,” Molly said at the opening of Thursday’s show.
“Just one! Don’t worry, we have a full team.”
Stephen A. was replaced by three-time NBA champion Haslem as the panel discussed the fallout from the Boston Celtics’ 18th title.
Haslem, 44, spent 20 years in the NBA with the Miami Heat.
He is the team’s all-time leading rebounder and debuted in the studio as an ESPN analyst in May.
“So happy to see #MonicaMcNutt and #UdonisHaslem on #FirstTake,” wrote one viewer on X.
“Udonis Haslem is great TV. ESPN needs to hire him full time,” said another.
“Udonis Haslem seems like a super cool guy!” laughed a third.
Monica McNutt also joined Thursday’s show following her much-publicized feud with Smith.
The 34-year-old analyst returned to First Take on Tuesday after a week-long absence.
Stephen A. and the former college basketball star clashed on-air over Caitlin Clark and the WNBA earlier this month.
First look at the numbers
First Take has grown from strength to strength under the guidance of Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim over the past year.
ESPN’s weekday debate show averaged 496,000 viewers in 2023 — making it the most-watched year in the show’s history.
Its December average of 611,000 represented a 24% annual increase compared to 2022.
The show has also recorded more than 250 million views on YouTube.
First Take was helped by the addition of Shannon Sharpe alongside Smith and Qerim after he left Fox Sports’ Undisputed.
Smith said she had to “watch every syllable” when talking about the WNBA during a frosty June 3 debate.
“Welcome to the world of being a woman, Stephen A,” McNutt responded.
“How you have to dance about your choice of words and how you have to please everyone as you navigate your being.”
“Who talks more about the WNBA, who talks more about women’s sports than First Take?” Stephen A. said.
“Stephen A., respectfully, with your platform, you could have been doing this three years ago if you wanted,” McNutt retorted.
The first broadcast airs every weekday starting at 10am ET on ESPN.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
