CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Why did ESPN replace Sage Steele with Michelle Beadle on "NBA Countdown" a week before the start of the playoffs?
That's the question viewers are asking after the network made a curious, late-season shuffle removing Steele, host of NBA pregame and halftime shows on ESPN and ABC since 2013, from the anchor chair.
Earlier this season, Beadle replaced Steele as the anchor of ESPN's weekday coverage of NBA games, with Steele remaining the host for Saturday primetime and Sunday afternoon games. The gig is now Beadle's full time.
"Like a great point guard, she makes everyone around her better and we're looking forward to this next chapter in Michelle's career as she leads us forward on 'NBA Countdown,'" ESPN executive Kevin Wildes said in a press release that makes no mention of Steele.