Bill Simmons leaving NBA Countdown to debut Grantland Basketball Show

Grantland Editor-in-chief Bill Simmons will leave NBA Countdown next season in order to debut The Grantland​ Basketball Show, ESPN's first Grantland-branded television program, ESPN announced Tuesday. The Grantland Basketball Show will debut on Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. on ESPN. James Andrew Miller, author of Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN, first reported the news.

Grantland editor-in-chief Bill Simmons will leave NBA Countdown next season in order to debut The Grantland​ Basketball Show, ESPN's first Grantland-branded television program, ESPN announced Tuesday. 

The Grantland Basketball Show will premiere Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. on ESPN. James Andrew Miller, author of Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN, first reported the news.

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Simmons will host the new show, which will feature Grantland contributors and other guests. ESPN will air as many as 18 one-hours shows during the NBA season, with eight planned for the regular season and eight planned for the playoffs and finals. The show will appear across ESPN properties, including on SportsCenter and Grantland.com. 

The Grantland Basketball Show will fall under the oversight of ESPN's new Exit 31 production studio, according to the release. 

Simmons' departure from NBA Countdown is just the latest personnel change for the program. 

- Alex Hampl