Before they were debate show stars, Marcellus Wiley and Max Kellerman teamed up at ESPN LA for a beloved local radio show.
Starting in 2010, the two hosted Max & Marcellus in the afternoon drive slot from the city that Wiley grew up in and Kellerman adopted. Wiley and Kellerman remained close after leaving for talk shows at FS1 and ESPN, respectively. And since Kellerman was laid off by ESPN in 2023, Wiley has dropped rumors about his former partner-in-crime on his YouTube channel.
Most recently, in an appearance on the Hoops Talk with Allen Sliwa podcast, Wiley revealed that a reunion may be closer than ever.
“Max and I still talk, and we talk about that as well,” Wiley said. “(It’s) inevitable. Sooner or later, we’re going to have to grab that golden ticket out of our back pockets and play it. We know we are. We don’t know when, and when that happens, it’s going to be a great day because we have such a built-in audience.”
Wiley first teased a future project with Kellerman in late 2023, shortly after Kellerman first left ESPN. The former First Take host has been conspicuously quiet in the year-plus since.
While some would expect the outspoken wordsmith to maintain a public persona, Wiley recently explained that Kellerman is taking full advantage of his buyout at ESPN and the ability to keep a low profile.
So though he didn’t throw his hat in the ring to call Netflix’s Paul-Tyson fight or take over the morning slot at FS1 when Skip Bayless left, it sounds as if Kellerman could come out of hibernation soon and return to the media world.
“If there’s a prediction, it could happen this year, but I would bet by 2026 … we’re gonna get something rolling,” Wiley said. “Because Max will be back at it, doing his thing.”
Given Kellerman’s past experience in political talk and many sports formats, he could pop up anywhere. But from what Wiley keeps saying, it sounds like one of those spaces will be the relaunch of Max & Marcellus.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.