Kendrick Perkins had run out of days, but Stephen A. Smith made sure he got paid anyway.
The NBA on ESPN analyst shared the story on the Straight Game Podcast about how Smith intervened when network bureaucracy threatened to keep Perkins off First Take during the NBA playoffs in his second year at the company.
Perkins was still working on a day rate at ESPN, earning upwards of $2,500 per appearance, but hadn’t been brought on full-time yet. By the time playoff season rolled around, he’d maxed out his contracted days for the year.
That became a problem when Smith wanted Perkins on First Take for an entire week. The request hit roadblocks with ESPN brass, but Smith wasn’t taking no for an answer.
“He called me right back. He’s like, ‘You’ll be hearing from the bosses tomorrow,'” Perkins said. “[They] tore that contract up. I had another year on that contract. They tore that up, and gave me a whole other contract for another three years and like $700k a year.”
We know what kind of influence Smith wields at ESPN, a network he’s arguably bigger than, but this goes to show how much pull he had with executives even before he became the Worldwide Leader’s $100 million man. When he wants something, the network finds a way to make it happen.
In this case, it meant upgrading a part-time contributor to a full-time analyst, accompanied by a substantial salary increase.
Smith’s intervention came at a crucial time for Perkins, who was establishing himself as one of ESPN’s most visible NBA voices. Since joining the network in 2019, following the end of his playing career, Perkins has become a regular on First Take, NBA Countdown, and other ESPN programming.
His rise hasn’t been without controversy. Perkins has feuded with Charles Barkley and the Inside the NBA crew, clashed with Bill Simmons over draft coverage, and faced scrutiny over his NIL company’s business practices. However, ESPN has continued to back him with contract extensions and expanded roles.
It’s hard to imagine any of that happening if Smith didn’t pick up the phone.
“I don’t take it for granted,” Perkins continued. “I punch in the clock. I watch as much basketball as I possibly can. I’m reading more than I’ve ever read, because you learn a lot from journalists.”
He also learned a great deal about how network politics works, and when it comes to getting what you want, having Stephen A. Smith in your corner is a significant advantage.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.