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Stephen A.Smith Now The Highest Paid On-Air Talent At ESPN

Source: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty

The hardest working man at ESPN just got rewarded mightily. The New York Post is reporting that Stephen A. Smith is now the highest-paid sportscaster at the Disney owned sports network.

According to The Post, Smith’s tireless work at ESPN is paying off big time. The network is reportedly tossing damn near $8 million of them thangs at him a year over the next five years. According to the reports, ESPN offered the 51-year-old living meme some of that salary upfront to get him to negotiating table.

Smith now moves past Mike Greenberg, who was making $6.5 million, which earned him the honor of having the highest salary at the network at the time.

As part of his new deal, Smith will continue to host his popular debate show alongside co-host and frequent sports troll Max Kellerman and moderator Molly Qerim. He will also continue to head up his own edition Sportscenter at 7 pm on Wednesdays before NBA Games. ESPN is also looking for a way to maximize their dollars by including him in its subscription service ESPN+.

Smith has been a staple at ESPN since 2005, but he hit his stride when he sat across from now FOX Sport’s analyst Skip Bayless on ESPN First Take, who was subsequently replaced by Kellerman following his departure.

If there is any question as to why ESPN is backing up the brinks truck for Smith, look no further than him hilariously going in on his beloved New York Knicks.

ESPN would be crazy to let this man go, congrats to Stephen A.Smith.

Photo: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty

Stephen A. Smith Now ESPN’s Highest Paid Sportscaster  was originally published on hiphopwired.com