Biography of Stephen A. Smith [Age, Height, Wife, Kids, Family, Salary, Award & Net worth ]

Stephen Anthony Smith is famously known as a sports commentator on the First Take talk show airing on ESPN, where he appears with Max Kellerman & Molly Qerim.

Smith is well-known for his bombastic, fierce, critical & over-the-top praises to the players and the coach.  

Besides being a sports commentator, he is also an actor, radio host, and journalist who has already spent 30 years in media. Smith is also an NBA analyst for ESPN and his show called “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on ESPN radio.

SMITH IS MOSTLY KNOWN FOR HIS OUTSPOKEN VIEWS OF THE WORLD OF SPORTS. NEW YORK TIME’S RICHARD SANDOMIR CALLED SMITH ‘A FIERCE, CONFIDENT AND BOMBASTIC PERSONALITY.’

He is also famous for his nickname “Screamin’ A. Smith.”

Smith has the quality to reach out to the audience and viewers, even those who dislike him and disagree with him. He is quoted as a controversial commentator in sports. An executive vice president at sports network ESPN says it is tough to find a very talented person like Smith. 

These are the few sides of the very famous sports commentator, but there is beyond that. He has many more exciting things to offer to all of us.

Let’s go through the journey of Stephen A. Smith, from being a basketball player in college to being a controversial sports commentator. First, let’s find out the details.

Quick Facts

Stephen A. Smith | Early Life, Parents, Horoscope

Stephen A. Smith was born in The Bronx, New York, on October 14, a very diverse neighborhood. He was born to his mother, Janet Smith, and details about his father are unknown.

Smith’s Parents came from the United States Virgin Islands, and the rumor is that his father was a baseball star in the 1950s.

Smith spent his childhood in Queens with his other five siblings; four sisters and one brother. Smith’s maternal grandmother is white, and the rest of the others are black.

In 1992, he lost his only brother, Basil, in a fatal car accident. He also has a half-brother from his father’s side, whose name is unknown.

Smith attended Thomas Edison High School in Queens and graduated from there. After graduating from high school, Smith enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Technology for one year.

Eventually, after one year, he received a basketball scholarship to attend Winston-Salem State University, also called a black university.

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Stephen’s horoscope chart shows he belongs to the Libra. Libra is known for maintaining a charming, beautiful, and well-balanced life. In this case, it seems to contradict Smith’s characteristics because he is critical, which misbalances his relationship with other people.

Stephen A. Smith | Career

Stephen’s Early Career in Print media

During Smith’s time at Winston-Salem State University, he played basketball under a team called Hall of Fame, coached by Clarence Gaines.

In addition to that, he was also a writer for a column for the university newspaper called The News Argust. He was very vocal from an early age; he argued why his coach should retire.

After that, Smith eventually engaged with other newspapers such as the Greensboro News and Record & the New York Daily News. 

In 1994, Smith got a positional writer post for The Philadelphia Inquirer and then began reporting for National Basketball Association for the sports column. Smith ended his relationship with Inquirer in 2008 after being demoted.

Stephen’s Radio Career

Stephen started his radio career in 2005 when he used to host a weekend show on WEPN in New York City alongside Brandon Tierney.

WEPN is an all-sports ESPN New York FM. He gradually grew his radio career, which helped him to expand to Television as well. Finally, in 2009 he got affiliated with Fox Sports Radio.

Stephen was working in a different radio show, a Television show that diverted his time, leading him to Inquirer’s demotion. After resigning from the newspaper, he started to write his blog. Unfortunately, the relationship between the newspaper and Smith got uglier, which led them to the process of litigation.

Smith had an on-and-off relationship with ESPN; he left ESPN’s contract in 2007 for Fox Sports Radio and again joined ESPN in 2011 as a columnist and ESPN radio program.

In 2013, he also left ESPN for Sirius XM Radio and made controversial comments against ESPN2. On January 17, 2017, he again moved back to ESPN.

Stephen’s Television Career

Smith’s television career started in 1999 through CNN/SI. In 2005, Smith hosted his show on ESPN called Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith, where he is known for his unbiased and deliberate comments. In 2007, he appeared as an NBA analyst, concentrating mainly on basketball after his show got canceled.

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He has analyzed various famous teams like- Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Knicks, etc. Smith has also had a debate about several players like Lamar Odom, Tiger Woods, Joel Embiid, LeBron James, etc.

In addition to that, he appeared on other ESPN shows such as Dream Job reality show and also as a guest on series operas such as Pardon the Interruption, and Jim Rome Is Burning.

He also used to anchor the Sunday morning show of Sports Center. Later on, there was a rumor that ESPN & Smith couldn’t come to a common ground, and he left ESPN.

In 2012, Smith was back on ESPN with a bang and announced his five days per week show called “Embrace Debate,” permanently replacing commentator Skip Bayless. Smith is currently affiliated as one of the hosts of First Take on ESPN alongside Max Kellerman.

Stephen A Smith’s Opinions

Furthermore, if there is one thing we know about Stephen, it’s that he will always speak his mind. For example, he spoke on the recent Ben Simmons matter, where the player said he is not ready to play.

While rationally explaining, he said that Simmons might be afraid to face Philly. Moreover, he called Devin Booker the next Kobe Bryant, which caused a lot of outrage among fans, but the sports journalist refused to take his words back.

Likewise, Smith also expressed how he wanted Gregg Popovich to be the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets and how the Dallas Cowboys should not be featured in the NFL Films-produced movie Hard Knocks.

Stephen’s Career in Filmography

It might amaze most of you to know that Smith has also tried his luck in the acting sector and produced a movie. He made his debut as a cameo on soap opera called General Hospital, and in 2016 he appeared as the character Brick in the following show.

Smith also produced and appeared in a motion picture called I Think I Love My Wife as an ‘Allan.’ Besides that, he also has done a few commercials.

Stephen A. Smith | Body Measurement

As per this article, Smith is 53 years old and seems to have maintained his athletic physique correctly. Standing 6 ft 1 inch tall, he weighs 70 kg. He is a big guy with black hair and black eyes.

Who is Stephen A. Smith dating?

Surfing through the various websites reveals that Stephen is not married yet, but the rumor is he was once engaged.

While making comments and critical analyses on players, he never seems to be out of the word, but when GQ Magazine asked him about his personal life & the reason for his breakup, he appeared to be tight-lipped.

However, Smith has two daughters, who are one year apart from each other in age. He is very paranoid about being in love and loving others; he said this to GQ Magazine because he believes they will eventually give him pain.

Furthermore, he also says that his daughters were like a hope for him, a cure to his soul when he lost his mother, Janet, in 2017.

There are also widespread rumors that Smith has a son whose mother’s whereabouts are unknown, and it still remains a mystery whether it is true or not.

There are various ongoing rumors about Stephen’s personal life, but there is no supporting evidence or confirmation from his side.   

What is Stephen A. Smith’s Net Worth?

Stephen has spent his 30 years of life in the media; he has worked for the very reputed media & channels.

Smith owns a very luxurious & magnificent property in New York, USA, worth 1 million US dollars. He bought that house in 2001 and currently resides there.

According to the New York Times, his net worth value is about 16 million USD, making him one of the wealthiest media personalities & highest-paid ESPN sportscaster. Stephen’s salary is estimated to be 8 million USD annually.

Due to his fearless and controversial comments and critical analysis, he has acquired an equal number of haters, which has benefitted him by increasing the TRP of the channel.

He also makes some money through his acting career as an actor and producer. Smith has also done some of the advertisements.

Smith’s Social Media Availability

Smith seems to be very active in Social media; he has many followers on Instagram & Twitter. He has 2.8 million followers on Instagram and, similarly, 4.9 million followers on Twitter. Smith uses those social media platforms to provide information to the fans about NBA sporting activities.

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Smith is very famous on Twitter for passing controversial statements or comments. He unbiasedly gives critical comments on the players for that he has an equal number of haters. Being a hyped-up person, he surely knows to draw the attention of haters as well.

Smith: A controversial King?

• Besides Smith’s frankness, he sometimes gets stuck in the most significant controversies. Once, he passed comments on-air about domestic violence, stating that females or their physical appearance is responsible for domestic violence. He got suspended for a week after massive criticism.
• In 2015, during the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Norway scored a free-kick against Germany as players turned their heads as the ball went by. He said, “Maybe they don’t want to mess up their hair.” This comment led to criticism of him as being sexist, and later, he posted an apology on Twitter.
• Smith’s former co-host Skip Bayless on ESPN and smith are not on good terms; Smith likes to call it “Unorthodox Friendship.”
• John Oliver described Smith as loud, wrong, who takes pointlessly dramatic pauses. He made this statement after Smith expressed his opinions about Daryl Morey’s tweet.

Common Queries about Stephen A. Smith

Is Stephen A Smith a Cowboys fan?

No, Smith has hated Dallas Cowboys for several years and has spent a bunch of his time on ESPN making fun of the Cowboys and their fans. Whenever the Cowboys dis something foolish or lose a game, Smith often celebrates their losses on TV or social media.

What did Joe Rogan say about Stephen A Smith?

Rogan said that “I think the problem is Stephen A. Smith, who’s a very entertaining guy and is very knowledgeable about other sports; this is not his wheelhouse.

That style of dismissing athletes and putting people down — that’s how he made his name, and it’s fun to listen to. He’s a fun guy to listen to.”

What did Stephen A Smith say about Kwame Brown?

He said, “I don’t have a single negative thing to say about Kwame Brown, the person. Nothing personal. The only negative thing anybody said about Kwame Brown is that he couldn’t play a lick of basketball.”

Has Stephen A Smith hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live?

Yes, the TV personality was a guest host on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

What did Stephen A Smith say about Paul George?

He said, “Paul George and Ty Lue need to stop lying to the American public. Of course, there is a reason for concern; they got spanked by the Dallas Mavericks in two games.”

Are Stephen A Smith and Michael Wilbon colleagues?

Yes, both of them work for ESPN and are colleagues. Their hilarious reaction in the Suns’ game had gone viral.

Where does Stephen A. Smith live? 

Smith currently lives in North Jersey.

What did Stephen A Smith say about Donald Cerrone?

The sports journalist said, “I respect the hell out of @Cowboycerrone, but he just wasn’t there that night.” He received a lot of hate and criticism for his comments but later on, Donald admitted that he “didn’t turn up.”

Who is Stephen A. Smith’s wife?