Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night marked the final appearance of ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” pregame show.
Beginning next season, Charles Barkley and his “Inside the NBA” teammates will anchor ESPN’s playoff coverage.
And if this was the swan song for Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins, it did not appear to end well.
Smith was heavily criticized on social media for a rant in which he said Perkins was “really annoying” him.
That prompted ESPN’s Bob Myers to retort with, “Just because you yell something doesn’t mean it’s true.”
Fans wasted no time calling out Smith and ESPN.
This latest episode follows several others where Smith and his cohorts took heat.
Smith was called out for playing Solitaire on his phone during Game 4 the NBA Finals.
Two Pacers fans also dressed up as the guys from “Dumb & Dumber” to mock Smith and Perkins on June 13.
The good news for NBA fans -- or at least some of them -- is that next year Barkley and the “Inside the NBA” guys will take center stage.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.