LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Michelle Beadle, the former host of 'NBA Countdown', recently claimed that NBA superstar LeBron James played a part in her dismissal from the show.
Beadle's journey with ESPN's 'NBA Countdown' began in 2016 but came to an abrupt end in 2019, lasting only three years.
Michelle Beadle's shocking revelation following 'NBA Countdown' exit
In a revealing interview with Awful Announcing, the 47-year-old broadcaster, now working at Sirius XM, discussed the circumstances surrounding her departure and her belief that LeBron had a hand in her removal from the show.
"I found out after (I was fired)," Beadle stated, referring to the events that unfolded following her departure. "In all the chaos that ensued after I left, all this other information started coming out. I kind of got wind of it as I was leaving. And then more stuff came out, and I was just like, 'What a c*** show.'"
Beadle went on to reiterate her assertion that LeBron played a role in her exit and was instrumental in her replacement by Rachel Nichols.
She acknowledged LeBron immense influence, stating, "Yeah, you know, he's a powerful dude. I mean, there's no getting around that he is an empire and an entity upon himself. All the respect for building such a powerful entity on a name and doing it well. So yeah, people are going to listen."
'We all knew where it was coming from!'
However, it remains uncertain whether the NBA's all-time leading scorer was indeed a driving force behind Beadle's firing. Beadle hinted that while LeBron had significant influence, he might not have been the sole proponent of her dismissal.
When questioned about whether she believed Nichols had a role in her departure, Beadle responded, "I mean look, she's ultimately not that powerful. But I think some of the narrative that was being allowed to play out specifically in the New York Post at the time. I knew where it was coming from. We all knew where it was coming from."
Beadle herself had stepped into her 'NBA Countdown' role by replacing Sage Steele, who had faced backlash for making conservative comments.
However, Beadle emphasized that her situation was different, asserting that she didn't engage in "backstabbing" to secure her position.
"No, and I know that narrative was floated out there too," Beadle clarified when asked if she had campaigned for Steele's replacement.
"I didn't have to. The decisions that were made had been made. I think your work should stand on its own, and there shouldn't be a bunch of backstabbing and stuff that goes on behind it. It's not a good way to do it."
