ESPN replacing Sage Steele with Michelle Beadle as 'NBA Countdown' host

As the NBA playoffs approach, ESPN is making a key personnel change.

Network veteran Sage Steele is out. Michelle Beadle is in, the network announced Tuesday.


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MORE: How ESPN personalities' careers fared after leaving the network

Beadle, who rose to popularity as personality on ESPN2's"SportsNation,"will become the full-time host on "NBA Countdown," leading the network's coverage throughout the the postseason, including the Western Conference finals and NBA Finals on ABC. The shift likely means Sage Steele will no longer have a role in ESPN's NBA coverage.

Beadle joined the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" in 2009. Shebegan her stint on "Countdown" at the beginning of this season, frequently joining former players-turned-analystsJalen Rose and Chauncey Billups in the studio on the network's regular Wednesday and Friday night broadcasts.

"The only thing better than working for Connor Schell and Kevin Wildes is being able to spend each day with all of the incredibly talented people at NBA Countdown and SportsNation," Beadle said. "It’s the best job in sports."

A lifelong Spurs fan, Beadle made sure to add: "Did I mention that Kawhi Leonard is the M.V.P. of the league?”

Amin Elhassan, an analyst on Rachel Nichols' ESPN show "The Jump," affectionately gave the lifelong Spurs fan a hard time about her homerism.

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MORE: The Cavs' conundrum: Does Cleveland really care about the No. 1 seed?

What does this mean for Steele's long-term future? A staple on ESPN for a decade, she's found herself at the center of controversy on at least two occasions over the course of the past year and change.

She abruptly ended an interview with Arcade Fire lead singer Win Butlerwhen he began to voice his political opinions during the NBA's Celebrity All-Star Game. In late January, she came under harsh criticism from the public and her professional colleagues, namely fellow ESPN personality Dan Le Batard, when she took to Instagram to complain about her travel plans being complicated due to crowds protesting President Donald Trump's travel ban.

PHOTOS: 2016-17 NBA SEASON

Slide 1 of 77: Karl-Anthony Towns, of the Timberwolves drives to the basket against the Trail Blazers on April 3 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves won 110-109.
Slide 2 of 77: T.J. McConnell #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots as he is guarded by Jonas Valanciunas #17 of the Toronto Raptors during NBA game action at Air Canada Centre on April 2, in Toronto, Canada.
Slide 3 of 77: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans goes up for a lay up against the Chicago Bulls on April 2, at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, La.
Slide 4 of 77: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors goes to the basket during the game against the Washington Wizards on April 2, at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, Calif.
Slide 5 of 77: Jonathon Simmons #17 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks over the Utah Jazz as Joe Ingles #2 of the Utah Jazz and Rodney Hood #5 of the Utah Jazz hang their heads at AT&T Center on April 2, in San Antonio, Texas.
Slide 6 of 77: Miami Heat's James Johnson #16 falls over Denver Nuggets' Mason Plumlee #24 as he attempts to block a shot during the first half of an NBA basketball game, on April 2, in Miami.
Slide 7 of 77: Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram, right, shoots as Memphis Grizzlies forward James Ennis III defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, on April 2, in Los Angeles.
Slide 8 of 77: Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown dunks during the second half of the NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, on April 2, in New York.
Slide 9 of 77: Dallas Mavericks guard Devin Harris #34 is fouled by Milwaukee Bucks forward Michael Beasley #9 in the first quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center on April 2.
Slide 10 of 77: Houston Rockets center Clint Capela #15 puts up a layup over Phoenix Suns forward Jared Dudley #3 and Suns center Alex Len #21 during the first half at Talking Stick Resort Arena on April 2.
Slide 11 of 77: Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James #23 and center Tristan Thompson #13 defend against Indiana Pacers forward Paul George #13 in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena on April 2.
Slide 12 of 77: Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard #8 drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets forward Quincy Acy #13 in the second quarter at Barclays Center. Nets win 91-82 on April 2.
Slide 13 of 77: Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, left, and San Antonio Spurs center Dewayne Dedmon #3 battle for position during the first half at AT&T Center on April 2.
Slide 14 of 77: Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jerami Grant #9 fouls Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist #14 during the second quartereake Energy Arena on April 2.
Slide 15 of 77: The Atlanta Hawks' Taurean Prince #12 works under the Chicago Bulls' Robin Lopez during the first half on April 1, at the United Center in Chicago. The Bulls won, 106-104.
Slide 16 of 77: Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin, left, reacts as Los Angeles Lakers forward Thomas Robinson, right, goes to the basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game, on April 1, in Los Angeles.
Slide 17 of 77: Phoenix Suns center Alex Len grabs a rebound next to Portland Trail Blazers forward Meyers Leonard during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., on April 1.
Slide 18 of 77: Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr., left, boxes out Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, on April 1, in Los Angeles.
Slide 19 of 77: Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins #22 looks to pass under the basket as Sacramento Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein #00 defends during the first quarter at Target Center on April 1.
Slide 20 of 77: Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton #4 shoots against Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez #11 and guard Jeremy Lin #7 in the first quarter at Barclays Center on April 1.
Slide 21 of 77: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets handles the ball against the Golden State Warriors on March 31, at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, Calif.
Slide 22 of 77: Ron Baker #31 of the New York Knicks handles the ball during the game against the Miami Heat on March 31, at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Fla.
Slide 23 of 77: Richaun Holmes #22 of the Philadelphia 76ers tries to drive around Kyrie Irving #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on March 31, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Slide 24 of 77: San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard #2 is fouled by Oklahoma City Thunder forward Doug McDermott #25 as he goes up for a shot in the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, March 31. San Antonio won 100-95.
Slide 25 of 77: Washington Wizards center Ian Mahinmi blocks the shot of Utah Jazz center Jeff Withey #24 with the help of Washington Wizards forward Jason Smith #14 during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game on March 31, in Salt Lake City.
Slide 26 of 77: Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton #4 drives to the hoop but cannot score against the defense of Boston Celtics forward Amir Johnson, right, in the last seconds of an NBA basketball game, on March 31, in Boston. The Celtics won 117-116.
Slide 27 of 77: Philadelphia 76ers' Shawn Long, top, and Cleveland Cavaliers' Kevin Love battle for a rebound in the second half of an NBA basketball game, March 31, in Cleveland.
Slide 28 of 77: Detroit Pistons center Aron Baynes, right, fouls Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe, second right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, March 31, in Milwaukee.
Slide 29 of 77: Charlotte Hornets' Frank Kaminsky #44 drives against Denver Nuggets' Mason Plumlee #24 in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., March 31.
Slide 30 of 77: Indiana Pacers guard Jeff Teague #44 drives into Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl #42 at the Air Canada Centre. Toronto defeated Indiana 111-100 on March 31.
Slide 31 of 77: Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe #15 deflects the pass intended for Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond #0 during the second quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center on March 31.
Slide 32 of 77: Dallas Mavericks guard Seth Curry #30 is injured during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on March 31.
Slide 33 of 77: New Orleans Pelicans forward Dante Cunningham #33 dunks against the Sacramento Kings during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center on March 31.
Slide 34 of 77: The Chicago Bulls' Robin Lopez #8 picks the Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James while teammate Paul Zipser #16 drives the lane during the first half at the United Center in Chicago on Thursday, March 30. The Bulls won, 99-93.
Slide 35 of 77: Spencer Dinwiddie #8 of the Brooklyn Nets blocks the shot of Aron Baynes #12 of the Detroit Pistons during the first half at the Palace of Auburn Hills on March 30, in Auburn Hills, Mich
Slide 36 of 77: Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, left, looks to pass against Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez during the first half of an NBA basketball game, March 30, in Chicago.
Slide 37 of 77: Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin #32 tries to shoot over Phoenix Suns' Alan Williams #15 as Suns' Ronnie Price, left, looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game, March 30, in Phoenix.
Slide 38 of 77: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves shoots the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 30, at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn.
Slide 39 of 77: Los Angeles Lakers' Julius Randle, left, tries to knock the ball away from Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns during the second half of an NBA basketball game, March 30, in Minneapolis.
Slide 40 of 77: Houston Rockets guard Lou Williams #12 shoots over Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum #3 during the second quarter at the Moda Center on March 30.
Slide 41 of 77: Brooklyn Nets guard Caris LeVert #22 looks to shoot while defended by Detroit Pistons forward Marcus Morris #13 during the second half of an NBA basketball game, March 30, in Auburn Hills, Mich.
Slide 42 of 77: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs, USA - 29 Mar 2017 Stephen Curry and Dewayne Dedmon
Slide 43 of 77: Justin Anderson #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers fights for the ball against Kent Bazemore #24 and Kris Humphries #43 of the Atlanta Hawks as referee CJ Washington #53 tries to break them up in the third quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on March 29, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Hawks defeated the 76ers 99-92.
Slide 44 of 77: Jrue Holiday #11 of the New Orleans Pelicans goes for a lay up during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 29, at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Slide 45 of 77: J.J. Barea #5 of the Dallas Mavericks holds back Devin Harris #34 as he is ejected by referee Ben Taylor #46 during the first half of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 29, in New Orleans.
Slide 46 of 77: Kemba Walker #15 of the Charlotte Hornets is guarded by Jonas Valanciunas #17 of the Toronto Raptors and Cory Joseph #6 during NBA game action at Air Canada Centre on March 29, in Toronto, Canada.
Slide 47 of 77: Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks grabs the rebound as Hassan Whiteside #21 of the Miami Heat defends at Madison Square Garden on March 29, in New York City.
Slide 48 of 77: Mike Conley #11 of the Memphis Grizzlies handles the ball during a game against the Indiana Pacers on March 29, at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.
Slide 49 of 77: Elfrid Payton #4 of the Orlando Magic handles the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 29, at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.
Slide 50 of 77: Indiana Pacers forward Paul George, lower center, passes to forward Thaddeus Young #21 between Memphis Grizzlies forward James Ennis, left, and guards Vince Carter #15, and Tony Allen #9 in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 29, in Memphis, Tenn.
Slide 51 of 77: Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon #13 collects a loose ball after Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart #36 and Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton #22 collided during the second quarter at TD Garden.
Slide 52 of 77: Oklahoma City Thunder forward Taj Gibson #22 and center Steven Adams #12 blocks Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier #10 shot during the second quarter at Amway Center on March 29.
Slide 53 of 77: San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard #2 is fouled while shooting by Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson #11 during the first half at AT&T Center on March 29.
Slide 54 of 77: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors drives past Clint Capela #15 of the Houston Rockets during the third quarter at Toyota Center on March 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas.
Slide 55 of 77: Hassan Whiteside #21 of the Miami Heat celebrates his buzzer beating game winning basket with James Johnson #16 and Goran Dragic #7 in front of Andre Drummond #0 of the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills on March 28, 2017 in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Slide 56 of 77: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves goes up for a lay up against the Indiana Pacers on March 28, 2017 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Slide 57 of 77: Blood flows from the face of Charlotte Hornets' Marco Belinelli (21) as he walks off the court after being injured in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, March 28, 2017. The Bucks won 118-108.
Slide 58 of 77: Atlanta Hawks' Dennis Schroder, of Germany, left, puts up a shot against Phoenix Suns' Jared Dudley in the third quarter of an NBA basketball game in Atlanta, Tuesday, March 28, 2017. The Hawks won 95-91.
Slide 59 of 77: Mar 28, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Randy Foye (2) and center Brook Lopez (11) battle for the ball against Philadelphia 76ers forward Richaun Holmes (22) during second half at Barclays Center. The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 106-101.
Slide 60 of 77: Mar 28, 2017; Portland, OR, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jameer Nelson (1) dribbles against Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) during the first quarter at the Moda Center.
Slide 61 of 77: San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) grabs a rebound as Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) defends during the second half at AT&T Center Mar 27, 2017; San Antonio, , Texas
Slide 62 of 77: Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) and guard Victor Oladipo (5) celebrate the win over the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Thunder defeat the Mavericks 92-91.
Slide 63 of 77: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball as Evan Fournier #10 of the Orlando Magic defends during the second half of an NBA game at Air Canada Centre on March 27, 2017 in Toronto, Canada.
Slide 64 of 77: San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) grabs a rebound as Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) defends during the second half at AT&T Center Mar 27, 2017; San Antonio, TX,
Slide 65 of 77: Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) dunks the ball over Memphis Grizzlies guard Andrew Harrison (5) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center Mar 27, 2017; Sacramento, . The Kings defeated the Grizzlies 91-90.
Slide 66 of 77: New Orleans Pelicans forward Solomon Hill (44) goes up for a shot between Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2) and center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena Mar 27, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT
Slide 67 of 77: Dallas Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes (40) runs into Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (5) and forward Andre Roberson (21) defends during the second quarter at the American Airlines Center.
Slide 68 of 77: Mar 27, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose (25) shoots over Detroit Pistons forward Marcus Morris (13) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit:
Slide 69 of 77: Allen Crabbe #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers guards D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half of the game at Staples Center on March 26, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Slide 70 of 77: Austin Rivers #25 of the Los Angeles Clippers is screened by Skal Labissiere #3 of the Sacramento Kings as Buddy Hield #24 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles to the basket during the NBA game at Staples Center on March 26, in Los Angeles, Calif. The Kings defeated the Clippers 98-97.
Slide 71 of 77: Clint Capela #15 of the Houston Rockets and Steven Adams #12 of the Oklahoma City Thunder attempt to grab a rebound as Trevor Ariza #1 looks on at Toyota Center on March 26, in Houston, Texas.
Slide 72 of 77: Jimmy Butler #21 of the Chicago Bulls reaches for the ball while defending Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of a game at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on March 26, in Milwaukee, Wisc.
Slide 73 of 77: Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin #7 drives as Atlanta Hawks forward Kris Humphries #43 tries to stop him during an NBA basketball game, on March 26, in Atlanta.
Slide 74 of 77: Charlotte Hornets' Nicolas Batum #5 drives past Phoenix Suns' TJ Warren #12 in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., on March 26. The Hornets won 120-106.
Slide 75 of 77: Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried #35 battles for a rebound with New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday #11 and forward Dante Cunningham #33 and forward Anthony Davis #23 in the third quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Pelicans won 115-90 on March 26.
Slide 76 of 77: Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry #30 shoots the basketball against Memphis Grizzlies guard Vince Carter #15 during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 106-94 on March 26.
Slide 77 of 77: Philadelphia 76ers guard Justin Anderson #23 passes the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Paul George #13 defends in the first half of the game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 26.
Slide 1 of 77: Karl-Anthony Towns, of the Timberwolves drives to the basket against the Trail Blazers on April 3 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves won 110-109.
Next Slide
1/77 SLIDES © David Sherman/NBAE/Getty Images
LEADING THE WOLVES TO VICTORY
Karl-Anthony Towns, of the Timberwolves drives to the basket against the Trail Blazers on April 3 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves won 110-109.