College Basketball Analyst LaPhonso Ellis Fired by ESPN

College Basketball Analyst LaPhonso Ellis Fired by ESPN

ESPN has been cutting jobs left and right today, with on-air personalities such as Jeff Van Gundy, Jalen Rose, and Max Kellerman among the layoffs. LaPhonso Ellis, a college basketball analyst who has been with ESPN for 14 years, was also terminated by the Worldwide Leader according to Front Office Sports. Ellis had been on College GameDay since 2019 alongside Jay Bilas, Seth Greenberg and Rece Davis. Ellis has not released a statement as of now.

The cost-cutting measures are part of an initiative by Disney CEO Bob Iger to save billions of dollars.

An internal network memo posted today read in part:

“In order to identify additional cost savings, ESPN determined it necessary to turn the cost management focus to public-facing commentator salaries, and that process has begun. This exercise will include a small group of job cuts in the short-term and an ongoing focus on managing costs when we negotiate individual contract renewals in the months ahead.”

The memo continued:

“It’s important for you to know that these are difficult decisions, involving individuals who have had tremendous impact on our company. They are based more on overall efficiency than merit, and we believe they will help us meet our financial targets and ensure future growth. Out of respect to all involved, we don’t plan on releasing a complete list of names.”

ESPN has opted not to release a full list of the personalities they are letting go, instead leaving it up to everyone to announce their own departure. Earlier this month, longtime SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett left ESPN. LaPhonso Ellis is the latest to be laid off, and it appears there will be many more to come.

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