Cari Champion pushes back on Smith’s career claims
Stephen A. Smith’s recent conversation with Cari Champion and Jemele Hill took an unexpected turn as old ESPN memories came back into focus. What started as a reunion quickly became a deeper discussion about Champion’s career, past decisions and differing recollections of how things unfolded behind the scenes.
Some moments sparked direct pushback, while others revealed unresolved tension between former colleagues. What really happened? Keep reading to see how the conversation unfolded.
Champion challenged Smith’s account of her hiring
Smith said former “First Take” partner Skip Bayless did not want Champion hired for the program. Champion immediately responded that Smith also had not wanted her, directly challenging his description of the hiring process.
The exchange focused on who influenced Champion’s arrival and whether Smith’s role had been presented accurately. Their disagreement centered on differing recollections rather than an independently established account of every decision involved.
Smith said he helped bring Champion to ESPN
Smith has previously said Champion was hired for “First Take” in large part because of his involvement. During the recent podcast discussion, the issue resurfaced as the former colleagues revisited their differing recollections of her hiring.
Jemele Hill had challenged Smith’s account before the latest conversation, saying he may have recommended Champion but overstated his role in securing her position. Hill identified former ESPN talent executive Gerry Matalon as the person she credited with bringing Champion to ESPN.
Hill disputed Smith’s version of Champion’s hiring
Hill previously acknowledged that Smith helped create opportunities for Black commentators, including herself, through his ESPN work. However, she specifically rejected the idea that Smith was responsible for Champion reaching “First Take.”
Hill said Champion had already established herself at the Tennis Channel before joining ESPN and credited Gerry Matalon with bringing her into the network. Her comments added another perspective to the disagreement.
Champion had already built a broadcasting career
ESPN announced Champion’s hiring in September 2012, and she began hosting “First Take” on Oct. 1. She joined the network after working as an anchor and courtside reporter for the Tennis Channel. Her earlier experience also included entertainment and lifestyle reporting for “The Insider,” “Hollywood 411” and Starz Entertainment.
As the host of “First Take,” Champion moderated discussions involving Smith and Bayless. Her ESPN career later expanded beyond the debate program into several prominent assignments.
Interesting fact: Linda Cohn became ESPN’s longest-tenured SportsCenter anchor before retiring in 2026. She joined ESPN in 1992 and hosted more editions of SportsCenter than anyone else in the program’s history.
Champion later moved to SportsCenter
Champion became a “SportsCenter” anchor in July 2015 after serving as the moderator of “First Take.” ESPN later named her co-anchor of the “SportsCenter Coast-to-Coast” edition with David Lloyd.
Her move represented a change from moderating debate television to anchoring ESPN’s flagship news program. ESPN also continued using Champion across other platforms, including espnW programming and interviews.
Interesting fact: Doris Burke became the first woman to work as a full-time national NBA game analyst. ESPN appointed her to the role before the 2017-18 season, marking a major milestone for women in basketball broadcasting.
Smith questioned Champion about SportsCenter
During the podcast, Smith told Champion that she had wanted the “SportsCenter” position and later wanted to return. Champion rejected that characterization during their exchange, saying his statement was not accurate.
Smith responded that they disagreed about what happened. The conversation therefore included competing recollections about Champion’s career decisions after her time moderating “First Take” and before her eventual departure from ESPN.
Champion rejected Smith’s claim about returning
Champion directly disputed Smith’s statement that she wanted to return to “SportsCenter.” She told him that his account was untrue, making clear that the two former colleagues remembered the situation differently.
Smith maintained his position and said they would disagree about it. The exchange became one of the clearest moments in the interview involving competing claims about Champion’s professional choices.
Champion’s ESPN career included several major roles
Champion’s responsibilities at ESPN expanded significantly after she joined “First Take.” She became a “SportsCenter” anchor in 2015 and later joined “SportsNation” as a co-host in 2018.
ESPN also featured Champion through its espnW programming, including “Be Honest with Cari Champion.” She remained with the network until 2020, holding several roles across ESPN’s television and digital platforms.
Champion left ESPN in 2020
Champion announced her departure from ESPN in January 2020 after nearly eight years with the network. During her tenure, she worked across “First Take,” “SportsCenter,” “SportsNation” and other ESPN projects.
Her departure came after a career progression that moved from debate-show moderation into major anchoring and hosting assignments. The recent podcast discussion revisited that period while examining disagreements between Champion and Smith.
Smith later apologized during the discussion
The conversation eventually included an apology from Smith to Champion. He apologized for making her feel that she could not talk to him during their time working together.
The apology followed their discussion of past disagreements and Champion’s concerns about their professional relationship. It did not resolve their disagreement over how her ESPN career began or how certain decisions were made.
The reunion also addressed broader ESPN tensions
The podcast discussion was not limited to Champion’s career history. Hill and Champion also questioned Smith about his treatment of Black women, his public commentary, and disagreements involving other media and political figures.
Hill additionally challenged Smith over his decision to appear on conservative media platforms. Smith explained that he viewed those appearances as opportunities to reach different audiences rather than endorsements of their positions.
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The disagreement remains a matter of competing accounts
The recent interview brought Smith, Champion and Hill together to discuss disagreements from their years at ESPN. Champion challenged Smith’s recollection of her hiring and later career decisions, while Smith maintained his own account of their shared history.
Available reporting establishes that the participants disagree about several events, but it does not independently resolve every disputed detail.
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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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