For three decades, Stephen A. Smith has dominated the sports media landscape, becoming a household name synonymous with fiery debates and bold opinions. His unmatched career as a host, analyst, and author has cemented his place as a legend for many. Even former NBA champ Matt Barnes once admired Smith as the gold standard of sports media. But now, Barnes sees a shift on the horizon. He believes former athletes are not just joining the media game—they’re poised to take it over entirely.

Matt Barnes joined Rich Kleiman on a special Boardroom x All the Smoke Productions episode on Boardroom YouTube to talk about the evolving sports media world. While discussing how athletes are redefining the industry, Barnes made it clear he sees no competition between traditional analysts and former athletes-turned-media stars. But he feels that ex-NBA star turned media personality has an edge over non-player analysts like Steven A. Smith and Skip Bayless.

“I love the Stephen A. [Smith] and the Skips [Skip Bayless] and all these other guys like I want to talk and hear from someone who did it you know what I mean, what it really feel like to be out there and do it and I think that’s why you know there’s obviously so many sports pods popping up,” Barnes said in the podcast. “But why there’re you know the good ones last is because you know like I want to hear from the horse’s mouth”

Indeed, ex-players are now dominating the podcast landscape with shows popping up everywhere. Barnes, alongside his co-host Stephen Jackson, has found massive success with All The Smoke. But his entry into the space was anything but traditional.

“At the time, I didn’t really know what a podcast was,” Barnes revealed in an interview. He recounted how he and Jackson—both bouncing between ESPN and FOX gigs—decided to take a chance. “We met up at my place in the Bay Area… I was just like, ‘Hey, let’s do a podcast.’”

And what a leap it’s been. “When we started out, we really didn’t know what we were doing,” Barnes admitted. Jackson echoed this, saying he never imagined their podcast would become a major player in the industry. Yet, the NBA legend didn’t step back in giving credit and congratulations where it is due.

Matt Barnes cheers for Stephen A. Smith’s potential $100 million deal

Matt Barnes, a 14-year NBA veteran turned media personality, is all in on Stephen A. Smith’s rumored $100 million deal with ESPN. For Barnes, this isn’t just about one man’s success—it’s about raising the bar for the entire sports media industry.

“When I see that, I applaud it,” Barnes shared with Front Office Sports. “Stephen A. is one of the biggest personalities out there, and if he’s able to secure a $100 million deal, it’s incredible.”

Earlier, ESPN offered Smith a five-year, $90 million deal—an impressive $18 million per year, making him their highest-paid talent. That figure would even surpass what Monday Night Football stars Troy Aikman and Joe Buck earn. However, Smith turned it down, signaling he was aiming for something bigger.

Barnes revealed he wasn’t surprised when Smith declined the deal. In an episode of All The Smoke, Barnes recalled congratulating Smith on the initial offer, only to hear him say he’d passed on it. “Because he’s a commodity,” Barnes explained. “I think ESPN is gonna have to break the bank for him.”

Barnes believes Smith’s mega-deal could ripple across the media landscape. “As the money gets bigger for the game, that means the money is going to get bigger for the media,” he said. Although despite his belief and admiration for ESPN host, Barnes also somewhere seemingly believes it’s now time for the legends to take over.