Stephen A. Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen A. Smith
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Smith in 2020
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| Born |
Stephen Anthony Smith
October 14, 1967 |
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| Education | Winston-Salem State University (BA) | ||||||||||
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| Employer | ESPN Inc. | ||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||
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Stephen Anthony Smith (born October 14, 1967) is a famous American sports personality. He works as a television host, radio host, and journalist. You might know him from ESPN, where he talks about the NBA. He appears on shows like SportsCenter, NBA Countdown, and First Take. He also writes columns for ESPN and The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Contents
Stephen A. Smith's Early Life and School
Stephen Anthony Smith was born in the Bronx, a part of New York City. He grew up in Hollis, Queens. Stephen is the fifth of six children in his family. His parents were from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. His father managed a hardware store.
Stephen went to Thomas Edison High School in Queens, graduating in 1986. After one year at the Fashion Institute of Technology, he received a basketball scholarship. This allowed him to attend Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. This university is a historically black university.
While playing basketball there, he wrote for the university newspaper. He graduated in 1991 with a degree in mass communication.
Stephen A. Smith's Career in Sports Media
Starting in Print Media
Stephen Smith began his career writing for newspapers. He worked for the Winston-Salem Journal and the New York Daily News. In 1994, he started writing for The Philadelphia Inquirer. He first covered the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team. Later, he became a general sports columnist.
Working in Radio
In 2005, Stephen Smith started hosting a radio show on WEPN in New York City. His show was later broadcast nationally on ESPN Radio. He left ESPN Radio in 2008 to focus more on television.
In 2009, he joined Fox Sports Radio. He even correctly predicted that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh would join the Miami Heat in 2010. Stephen returned to ESPN in 2011. He hosted local radio shows in New York and Los Angeles. In 2013, he moved to Sirius XM Radio. However, he returned to ESPN Radio in 2017. His daily show is heard on ESPN radio stations and Sirius XM.
Stephen A. Smith on Television
Stephen Smith is a main host on ESPN's First Take. He also appears as an analyst on many other ESPN shows. He is known for his strong opinions and serious way of speaking.
He started his TV career on CNN/SI in 1999. In 2005, he hosted his own show on ESPN called Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith. After that show ended, he focused on being an NBA analyst. He also appeared on other ESPN programs.
In 2012, Stephen joined First Take full-time. The show uses a "Embrace Debate" format. On this show, he often debates with Skip Bayless.
In 2014, Stephen Smith was suspended by ESPN for a week. This happened after he made comments about a situation involving a football player and his wife. He later apologized for his words.
In 2015, he received criticism for comments about female soccer players. He made a joke about players not wanting to mess up their hair. He later apologized for this comment as well.
Stephen has also worked as a commentator for boxing events. In 2019, he became a UFC commentator when ESPN started broadcasting UFC fights. In 2020, he was a commentator for the after-party coverage of the 92nd Academy Awards. He has also started covering soccer, talking about tournaments like Euro2020.
Stephen A. Smith's Acting Roles
Stephen Smith has also tried acting! He first appeared on the ABC soap opera General Hospital in 2007. He played a television reporter. He is a big fan of the show. Since 2016, he has had a recurring role as a character named Brick on General Hospital.
In 2007, he was in the movie I Think I Love My Wife, which starred Chris Rock. Since 2014, he has appeared in commercials for Oberto beef jerky. In these ads, he plays "The Little Voice in Your Stomach." He appears alongside famous athletes like Richard Sherman and Louie Vito.
Stephen A. Smith on First Take
Famous Sayings
Stephen Smith is known for his unique phrases on First Take. One he often uses is "blasphemous" when something seems completely crazy to him. He also calls former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers a "bad man." He has even worn Rodgers' jersey on the show.
He is also known for showing a strong dislike for the Dallas Cowboys football team. He often makes fun of them after they lose. He has teased other ESPN colleagues who are Cowboys fans, like Michael Irvin.
His Knowledge of Hockey
Stephen Smith often says he knows nothing about hockey. For example, he once said that tie games still exist in hockey, even though they don't in the NHL. However, since ESPN started broadcasting the NHL, he talks about hockey more often. He has even had NHL player P.K. Subban as a guest on his shows.
Stephen A. Smith's Personal Life
Stephen Smith has two daughters. He shared this information in an interview in 2019. He was once engaged but did not get married.
He is a fan of the New York Yankees baseball team, the New York Knicks basketball team, and the Pittsburgh Steelers football team.
Stephen A. Smith's Film and TV Appearances
Movies
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | I Think I Love My Wife | Allan |
| 2021 | Rumble | Marc Remy |
| 2023 | Creed III | Himself |
Television Shows
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | General Hospital | Reporter |
| 2016–present | Brick | |
| 2018 | Luke Cage | Himself |
| 2022 | Black-ish | Himself |
| The Best Man: The Final Chapters |
Stephen A. Smith's Books
- 2023: Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes ISBN: 978-1982189495
See also
- New Yorkers in journalism
