What sparked the feud between Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith?

Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith, once co-stars on ESPN's "First Take," seem to have drifted apart after a series of disagreements.

The rift reportedly began when Bayless made personal comments about Shannon Sharpe's playing career on FS1's "Undisputed" in December 2022, leading to Sharpe's departure from the network in 2023.

Stephen A. Smith criticized Bayless for comments on Shannon Sharpe

Stephen A. Smith openly criticized Bayless for his treatment of Sharpe. On Cris Carter's "Fully Loaded" podcast, Smith revealed that he called Bayless to express his disapproval but never received a response.

"I thought what he did to Shannon was flagrantly wrong. And I called him, and he never reached back out. So, I stopped reaching out," Smith explained on 'Fully Loaded'

Bayless and Smith have limited communication

Smith shared that he and Bayless have only spoken once in the past 12 to 18 months. Their in-person meeting took place after Bayless became upset over something Smith allegedly said to JJ Redick.

Bayless then spent 45 minutes on his podcast criticizing Smith. Smith flew to California to address the issue face-to-face, and while the matter was resolved, their relationship has not been the same since.

Despite the tension, Smith expressed that he harbors no ill will toward Bayless.

"I'm never gonna speak against him per se, but our relationship ittedly hasn't been the same since that moment," Smith said.

He emphasized that while they've gone in different directions, he still holds no negative feelings toward Bayless.

Bayless and Smith were the faces of ESPN's "First Take" until Bayless left for FS1 in 2016 to launch "Undisputed" with Shannon Sharpe.

After Sharpe's departure from FS1 in 2023, Bayless continued the show with a rotating of guests, including Keyshawn Johnson. However, Bayless left the network entirely last month, further distancing himself from Smith and the sports media world they once dominated together.