As ESPN cuts familiar faces, its retreat from serious NBA coverage is complete
As ESPN cuts expert voices and rewards viral argument, fans who want to understand basketball are building a smarter conversation elsewhereAfter the Phoenix Suns dumped the Golden State Warriors out of last season’s play-in, Stephen A Smith settled behind the First Take desk to explain why Steve Kerr might have coached his last game. Midway through the burial, he claimed the Warriors hadn’t “been to the playoffs since that championship in 2022” – a four-year drought in his telling – before grumbling that Golden State could pay someone far less than $17m a year to miss the postseason.Cool.
Reported by 1 outlet — The Guardian US. See all sources ↓
As ESPN cuts expert voices and rewards viral argument, fans who want to understand basketball are building a smarter conversation elsewhereAfter the Phoenix Suns dumped the Golden State Warriors out of last season’s play-in, Stephen A Smith settled behind the First Take desk to explain why Steve Kerr might have coached his last game. Midway through the burial, he claimed the Warriors hadn’t “been to the playoffs since that championship in 2022” – a four-year drought in his telling – before grumbling that Golden State could pay someone far less than $17m a year to miss the postseason.Cool. Except the drought never happened. Golden State reached the conference semi-finals in 2023 and again in 2025.
Read the full report at The Guardian US ↗
Why it matters
A world story we're tracking; its significance and source trust firm up as more outlets confirm it.
- What's the story?
- As ESPN cuts expert voices and rewards viral argument, fans who want to understand basketball are building a smarter conversation elsewhereAfter the Phoenix Suns dumped the Golden State Warriors out of last season’s play-in, Stephen A Smith settled behind the First Take desk to explain why Steve Kerr might have coached his last game. Midway through the burial, he claimed the Warriors hadn’t “been to the playoffs since that championship in 2022” – a four-year drought in his telling – before grumbling that Golden State could pay someone far less than $17m a year to miss the postseason.Cool.
- How widely is it covered?
- 1 outlet, average source rating 8.0/10.
- When was it last updated?
- 15m ago.
How outlets are framing the same story
Here's how each outlet is covering the story — compare their headlines and timing at a glance.
- Coverage card1 outlet1CoverageScouting report
As ESPN cuts familiar faces, its retreat from serious NBA coverage is complete
Sources1TypeCoverageThe Guardian US