Stephen A Smith is an American sportscaster who is best known as the co-host of the ESPN show, First Take along with Molly Qerim and Max Kellerman. He works as an NBA analyst for many sports shows on ESPN including NBA broadcasts and NBA Countdown as well as being a regular guest on the popular ESPN SportsCenter as an NBA analyst. In addition, the adroit sportscaster is a radio host of a self-titled show that is aired on Sirius XM Radio. More so, he has made several appearances in many movies and television series such as General Hospital and I Think I Love My Wife.
The talented radio host was born as Stephen Anthony Smith on 14th October 1967 in the Bronx section of New York City, USA. He was the fifth child out of the six children of his parents. His parents were natives of Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Though he has kept the name of his father secret from the media, he did mention that his father was a manager of a hardware store. Tragedy struck when he lost his elder brother, Basil Smith in October 1992 in a car accident. Stephen A Smith was brought up along with his four elder sisters and brother in the Hollis borough of Queens, New York.
Early life and education
The sports analyst completed his basic education at Thomas Edison High School located in Queens, New York. He then furthered his studies by attending The Fashion Institute of Technology after graduating from high school for a period of one year, after which he gained a basketball scholarship to study at the prestigious Winston-Salem University, North Carolina from where he graduated in 1991. While he was there, Smith showed his writing prowess by writing a column on The News Angus, the University newspaper. In one of his columns, he stated that his current college basketball coach Clarence Gaines who is also a Hall of Fame member should be relieved of his duties on health grounds.
Soon after graduation, the straightforward columnist landed his first gig as a clerk in the sports department of the Winston-Salem Journal before having stints as a reporter at the New York Daily News and Greensboro News and Record. From there, he was recruited by Philadelphia Inquirer as a reporter in 1994 and went on to work as an NBA columnist and writer before being promoted to the position of general sports columnist in 2003, however, after a while, he was sent back to his previous position as an NBA writer.
Stephen A Smith height and other body measurements
Stephen is moderately tall with a height of 6 feet 1 inch. He weighs approximately 70 Kgs. He has an athletic physique with a body generally considered slim. His eyes and hair are black.
Career
After a while, Smith left for greener pastures and signed with the giant sports network, ESPN as an NBA analyst for NBA Countdown. Almost soon after, Smith became the host of the show Quite Frankly With Stephen A. Smith. He grew to be famously known as the co-host of the popular ESPN sports show, First Take together with Max Kellerman and Molly Qerim. More so, he became the fan favorite of the show as a result of his candid commentary.
Media career
Furthermore, Stephen A Smith kick-started his radio career as the host of the weekday radio show on WEPN, New York City on 11th April 2005. So far, he has had stints in several prominent radio stations such as ESPN Radio, Fox Sports radio and Sirius XM radio.
The plainspoken commentator made his first appearance on the small screen as a TV reporter in the ABC television series, General Hospital in 2007 before featuring in Chris Rock’s film, I Think I Love My Wife the same year. He has also appeared in the commercials such as The Little Voice In Your Stomach together with Richard Sherman, Louie Vito, and Dick Vitale.
He spent a significant period of his career as a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer. He joined in 1994 and went on to hold various positions such as NBA writer, NBA columnist, and ultimately general sports columnist in 2003.
In 2003, he was contracted to join the ESPN television broadcast network. While working with ESPN, he resumed his columnist activities for the newspaper in 2010.
Between 2005 and 2007, he was the host of ESPN’s Quite Frankly With Stephen A. Smith, and later in 2014, he started a daily show called The Stephen A. Smith Show.
He also featured in Fox Radio Sports morning show in 2009, and he is remembered for predicting that LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh would join Miami Heat in 2010.
Stephen became famous for his participation in ESPN’s First Take. He partnered with Skip Bayless from 2012 to 2016 in the show. After Bayless left the show in 2016, Stephen was paired with Max Kellerman, and they have been commentators on the show until to date.
Acting career
Smith has also had some exciting roles in the film industry. He made his acting debut in 2007 appearing on the ABC soap opera General Hospital as Brick. Later in 2007, he portrayed Allan in I Think I Love My Wife.
Stephen A Smith net worth
Having earned an annual salary of $3.5 million as an ESPN NBA analyst, Smith has accumulated a huge amount of money as an actor and sportscaster, his net worth is estimated at about $10 million.
Stephen A Smith house
The media personality owns and lives in a magnificent house in New York, USA.He acquired the property in 2001 at an approximate value of 1 million US dollars.
Stephen A Smith wife
Stephen A Smith has not revealed any information regarding his wife and kids to the media and has never posted any picture with any lady on his numerous social media accounts. However, it is quite possible that he may be married with kids but has decided to keep it under the wrap. Ultimately, Smith’s family life still remains a mystery to many as his marital status is yet unknown. Although he has been surreptitious about his personal details, he did mention that he was raised by his mother, Janet Smith after she separated from his father. Unfortunately, his mother passed away on 1st July 2017 after suffering from cancer.
Stephen had close ties with his mother, and when she died of cancer on June 1, 2017, he pointed out his daughters as the only source of hope he had in life.
Rumors about his personal life
He is known to be highly vocal and sometimes provocative when it comes to sporting issues, but he prefers to be confidential when it comes to his dating and personal life matters. His silence on his personal life has sparked lots of rumors
For instance, it has been said that he has a son, but he has neither accepted nor declined the stories. Also, many people thought that he was dating after he was seen in the company of an unknown lady during Steve Harvey Foundation’s annual gala in 2011. However, he has never commented on his relationship with the lady.
Stephen A Smith young appearance
Ever wondered how Smith looked like when he was young? Here is a photo making rounds in social media showing the media personality in his younger days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the answers to questions that many people have been asking about the celebrity.
What is Stephen A Smith age?
He is 52 years old. The media personality was born on October 14, 1967.
What NFL team does Stephen A Smith support?
He supports the Pittsburgh Steelers.
What team did Stephen A Smith play for?
He played for Wisdom-Salem State University in North Carolina during his days in college.
What happened to Stephen A Smith’s arm?
He tore off his rotator cuff when he took up boxing to lose a few body pounds.
Social media availability
Smith is an active user of both Instagram and Twitter. On Instagram, he has about 2.6 million followers, while on Twitter, he has 4.9 million followers.
He uses the platforms to update fans about NBA sporting activities and also express his opinions on the game.
Stephen A Smith is one of the most outstanding and prosperous media personalities in America. His unique voice and style of commentating make him a likable character in the media industry.