“First Take is what it is because of Stephen, but I would go so far as to say sports morning studio programming is what it is today in large part because of Stephen A. Smith.” 

— Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN 

By R. Thomas Umstead

Few names evoke a more immediate reaction than Stephen A. Smith. Whether audiences tune in to hear his commentary or challenge his take on breaking sports news, his professional achievements remain beyond question.

Long before the ubiquitous ESPN star became one of sports television’s most recognizable and outspoken personalities, Smith was a young fan fascinated as much by the voices describing the action as by the games themselves. The New York native grew up as an avid television viewer and idolized iconic news and sports personalities like Howard Cosell, Bryant Gumbel and Ed Bradley. 

“A lot of people watched sports and the games, but I loved the commentary,” he said.

That fascination steered Smith toward communications and journalism at Winston-Salem State University, which he attended on a basketball scholarship. An early injury forced him to reconsider his future.

Focused From the Start

“In the first couple of months there, I was injured, and my mother made it very, very clear that I would have to figure out what to do with the rest of my life,” he said. “I told her, I’m going to be on television to be a sports journalist.”

Smith started by reporting for the university’s weekly newspaper before moving on to the daily Winston-Salem Journal and interning at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After graduating in 1991, Smith worked at the Greensboro (N.C.) News & Record before becoming a high school sports reporter for the New York Daily News.

In 1994, Smith joined The Philadelphia Inquirer, laying the foundation for his eventual transition to television. “The newspapers are where I began cultivating sources, networking, gathering information, which would be parlayed into time on the airwaves,” he said.

In a 2019 interview with GQ, former Inquirer deputy sports editor and mentor Garry Howard said he saw Smith’s promise from the beginning. “I thought he could be the best ever,” he said. 

 Smith launched his TV career with CNN/SI and Fox Sports before joining ESPN in 2003. There, he worked on the pregame show NBA Shootaround, now known as NBA Countdown. In 2005, Smith hosted The Stephen A. Smith Show on ESPN Radio and ESPN2’s Quite Frankly With Stephen A. Smith, getting his own national media footprint. He did so with no formal broadcast training.

“I’m not afraid to try something or to fail,” he said. “My newspaper journalism experience set me up to know that when I opened my mouth, I had an idea of what I was talking about. From there, it was just a matter of delivering it in a way that an audience would want to hear it.”

Smith’s ESPN footprint expanded significantly in 2012 when he became a fixture on First Take. His spirited debates with then-co-host Skip Bayless proved to be a winning formula.

 

 

“The primary objective is to exercise objectivity and fairness while pursuing truth and accuracy to the best of your ability, and in the course of that, you’re not always going to make friends.”

— Stephen A. Smith

Embracing Debate

I knew that we would be a show that would resonate, but I didn’t know it would become the ultimate staple and usurp the likes of SportsCenter when it came to our impact on culture and society,” he said. “I had no idea it was going to become that successful.”

ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro credits the success of First Take — and the debate format — to Smith. 

“First Take is what it is because of Stephen, but I would go so far as to say sports morning studio programming is what it is today in large part because of Stephen A. Smith,” he said. 

Smith has also drawn his share of critics and controversy, which he chalks up to the process of being a successful multimedia journalist. “The primary objective is to exercise objectivity and fairness while pursuing truth and accuracy to the best of your ability, and in the course of that, you’re not always going to make friends,” he said. “I need to be able to tell the truth while being fair and humane.”

Smith continues to expand his ambitions beyond sports. In addition to his work as an author, radio personality, podcast host and producer, he has ventured into acting, including a recurring role on ABC’s General Hospital. He credits relationships built with past and present Disney executives Pitaro, Burke Magnus, Jamie Horowitz and Bob Iger, among others, with fostering his growth both on- and off-screen.

He has even expressed an interest in politics and has openly discussed running for president.

Smith said he remains grounded despite his enormous success, pointing to encouragement from his family, especially his late mother. For Smith, each new venture represents another opportunity to extend his voice and influence far beyond the sports world.