History of Stephen A. Smith in Timeline
Stephen A. Smith is a prominent American sports media personality known for his work as a television and radio host, sports analyst, and commentator. He frequently appears on ESPN programs like SportsCenter, NBA Countdown, and First Take, offering his opinions and insights on the NBA. He has also hosted his own radio show and contributes as a columnist for ESPN and The Philadelphia Inquirer, solidifying his presence as a leading voice in sports commentary and analysis.
October 14, 1967: Stephen A. Smith's Birth
On October 14, 1967, Stephen Anthony Smith, also known as Stephen A., was born. He is an American television personality, radio host, sports analyst, and actor.
1986: Graduation from High School
In 1986, Stephen A. Smith graduated from Thomas Edison High School in Queens.
1991: Graduation from Winston-Salem State University
In 1991, Stephen A. Smith graduated from Winston-Salem State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication.
1992: Brother's Death
In 1992, Stephen A. Smith's older brother, Basil, passed away in a car accident.
1994: Writer at The Philadelphia Inquirer
In 1994, Stephen A. Smith began working as a writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, reporting on the Philadelphia 76ers and eventually becoming a general sports columnist.
1999: Television Career on CNN/SI
In 1999, Stephen A. Smith started his television career on the now-defunct cable network CNN/SI.
2004: Knowing nothing about hockey
In 2004, Stephen A. Smith said that tie games still exist in hockey after the NHL abolished ties.
April 11, 2005: Host of Radio Show on WEPN
On April 11, 2005, Stephen A. Smith became the host of a weekday noon to 2 p.m. radio show on WEPN in New York City with B.T. (Brandon Tierney).
August 2005: Host of Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith
In August 2005, Stephen A. Smith started hosting a daily hour-long show on ESPN called Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith.
January 2007: Cancellation of Quite Frankly
In January 2007, Stephen A. Smith's show, Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith, was cancelled, and he focused on basketball analysis for ESPN.
February 2, 2007: Acting Debut on General Hospital
On February 2, 2007, Stephen A. Smith made his acting debut on the ABC soap opera General Hospital as a television reporter.
August 23, 2007: Demotion at The Philadelphia Inquirer
On August 23, 2007, The Philadelphia Inquirer announced that Stephen A. Smith would no longer be writing columns and would be demoted back to the position of general assignment reporter.
September 20, 2007: Radio Show Shifted to 2-4 PM Slot
On September 20, 2007, Stephen A. Smith's radio show on WEPN was shifted to the 2–4 p.m. slot, with the second hour being broadcast nationally on ESPN Radio.
2007: Appearance in I Think I Love My Wife
In 2007, Stephen A. Smith was in the Chris Rock film I Think I Love My Wife.
April 2008: End of Radio Show on WEPN
In April 2008, Stephen A. Smith's radio show on WEPN came to an end as he sought to expand his career in television.
2008: Birth of his daughter, Samantha
In 2008, Stephen A. Smith's daughter Samantha was born.
2008: Departure from The Philadelphia Inquirer
In 2008, The Philadelphia Inquirer ended its relationship with Stephen A. Smith, coinciding with the launch of his own blog, stephena.com.
April 17, 2009: Announcement of Departure from ESPN
On April 17, 2009, Stephen A. Smith announced on his website that he would be leaving ESPN on May 1, 2009.
May 1, 2009: Departure from ESPN
On May 1, 2009, Stephen A. Smith officially left ESPN.
November 2009: Contributor to Fox Sports Radio
In November 2009, Stephen A. Smith became an on-air contributor to Fox Sports Radio and broke the news of Allen Iverson's retirement.
2009: Identifies as Independent
In 2009, Stephen A. Smith described himself as an independent.
January 4, 2010: Fox Sports Radio Morning Show Host
On January 4, 2010, Stephen A. Smith became a Fox Sports Radio morning show host, replacing Steve Czaban.
February 2010: Return to The Philadelphia Inquirer
In February 2010, Stephen A. Smith returned to The Philadelphia Inquirer after winning an arbitrator's ruling, with the agreement to remove his political views from his website and cable news shows.
February 1, 2011: Return to ESPN
On February 1, 2011, it was announced that Stephen A. Smith would return to ESPN as a columnist for ESPN.com and host local radio shows.
2011: FSR NBA Insider
In early 2011, Stephen A. Smith became a resident FSR NBA insider and ended his morning show.
April 24, 2012: Departure from LA 710 ESPN
On April 24, 2012, Stephen A. Smith left LA 710 ESPN.
April 30, 2012: Joins First Take
On April 30, 2012, it was announced that Stephen A. Smith would be joining First Take on a permanent, five-days-per-week basis under a new format called "Embrace Debate".
May 2012: The Stephen A. Smith & Ryan Ruocco Show
In May 2012, Stephen A. Smith replaced Robin Lundberg and debuted The Stephen A. Smith & Ryan Ruocco Show on 98.7 WEPN.
2013: Move to Sirius XM Radio
In 2013, Stephen A. Smith left ESPN for Sirius XM Radio, joining Chris Russo's Mad Dog Sports Channel.
July 25, 2014: Controversial Remarks on First Take
On July 25, 2014, Stephen A. Smith made controversial remarks on First Take about women and domestic abuse in regards to the Ray Rice situation, drawing widespread criticism.
July 29, 2014: Suspension by ESPN
On July 29, 2014, Stephen A. Smith was suspended by ESPN for a week due to his controversial remarks on First Take.
August 6, 2014: Return to ESPN after Suspension
On August 6, 2014, Stephen A. Smith returned to ESPN after serving a one-week suspension for his controversial remarks.
2014: Oberto Beef Jerky Commercials
Beginning in 2014, Stephen A. Smith has appeared in a series of Oberto all-natural beef jerky commercials as "The Little Voice in Your Stomach", alongside sports figures.
2014: Philadelphia Eagles' Roster Moves
In 2014, Chip Kelly, the head coach of Philadelphia Eagles, made roster moves, releasing DeSean Jackson and trading LeSean McCoy. These moves sparked controversy.
2014: Multi-Year Deal with ESPN
In late 2014, Stephen A. Smith signed a multi-year deal with ESPN worth over $3 million per year.
March 9, 2015: Comments on Chip Kelly's Roster Moves
On March 9, 2015, Stephen A. Smith made comments on First Take suggesting that Philadelphia Eagles' head coach Chip Kelly's roster moves made some players uncomfortable, potentially hinting at racial motivations.
May 8, 2015: McCoy's Admission on Racial Motivations
On May 8, 2015, LeSean McCoy admitted in an interview with ESPN The Magazine that some of Chip Kelly's roster moves appeared racially motivated.
June 11, 2015: Criticism for Sexist Comment
On June 11, 2015, Stephen A. Smith received criticism for a comment he made on SportsCenter about female soccer players during the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, joking that German players didn't want to mess up their hair.
March 31, 2016: Appearance as Brick on General Hospital
On March 31, 2016, Stephen A. Smith appeared as Brick on General Hospital, continuing to make guest appearances in the role in subsequent years.
November 5, 2016: Joins Top Rank Boxing Broadcast
On November 5, 2016, Stephen A. Smith joined Top Rank's broadcasting team for the Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas boxing pay-per-view event.
January 17, 2017: Return to ESPN from Sirius XM
On January 17, 2017, Stephen A. Smith moved from Sirius XM's Mad Dog Sports channel back to ESPN.
August 2017: Criticism of Zach Randolph
In August 2017, Stephen A. Smith criticized NBA player Zach Randolph after he was arrested for marijuana possession with the intent to sell.
2017: Wearing Aaron Rodgers' jersey on First Take
In 2017, Stephen A. Smith wore Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers' jersey on two occasions on First Take: once after the Dallas Cowboys' elimination by the Packers, and once during a special taping in Dallas where he was booed.
2018: "Stay off the weed!" line at First Take
In 2018, after J. R. Smith's blunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Stephen A. Smith jokingly delivered his "Stay off the weed!" line at a live First Take taping, implying that Smith was high.
May 2019: Criticism of D'Angelo Russell
In May 2019, Stephen A. Smith criticized NBA player D'Angelo Russell, who was cited for marijuana possession inside his luggage at New York's LaGuardia Airport.
December 11, 2019: Disclosure of having two daughters
On December 11, 2019, in an interview with GQ, Stephen A. Smith disclosed that he has two daughters.
2019: New ESPN Contract and UFC Commentator Role
In 2019, Stephen A. Smith signed a new contract with ESPN worth approximately $60 million over five years. He also became a UFC commentator as ESPN became the UFC's television broadcaster.
2020: Academy Awards Commentator
In 2020, Stephen A. Smith served as a commentator for the after-party coverage of the 92nd Academy Awards on ABC.
June 10, 2021: Soccer Coverage
On June 10, 2021, Stephen A. Smith ventured into soccer coverage, selecting a Euro 2020 team.
June 14, 2021: "Ain't No Way" Soccer Segment
On June 14, 2021, Stephen A. Smith followed up his Euro 2020 team selection with another soccer segment called "Ain't No Way".
June 2021: Criticism of Alex Caruso
In June 2021, Stephen A. Smith criticized NBA player Alex Caruso after he was arrested in Texas for marijuana possession.
2021: Talks about hockey more often on First Take
In 2021, after ESPN acquired broadcasting rights for the NHL, Stephen A. Smith started talking about hockey more often on First Take and Stephen A.’s World, roasting Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl after the Winnipeg Jets swept the Edmonton Oilers.
2022: Talks about hockey more often on First Take
In 2022, after ESPN acquired broadcasting rights for the NHL, Stephen A. Smith started talking about hockey more often on First Take and Stephen A.’s World.
November 7, 2024: Consideration of 2028 Presidential Run
On November 7, 2024, following the 2024 United States presidential election, Stephen A. Smith stated he would consider running for president in 2028 if he had a reasonable chance of victory.
2024: Voting for Kamala Harris
In 2024, Stephen A. Smith announced he voted for Kamala Harris in the election during an appearance on Real Time With Bill Maher, but her poor performance made him feel foolish.
February 2025: Podcast Discussion on Presidential Campaign
In February 2025, Stephen A. Smith stated on his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show, that he would entertain the idea of launching a presidential campaign after being included in a Democratic primary poll.
May 2025: Comments on running for election
In May 2025, Donald Trump suggested Stephen A. Smith run in the next election, praising his entertainment skills. Smith later told CNN that he would run as a Democrat if he were to run, but is critical of the current Democratic Party. He also commented on the 2025 New York City mayoral election.
2025: New Contracts with ESPN and SiriusXM
In 2025, Stephen A. Smith signed a new contract with ESPN worth over $100 million over five years and a contract with SiriusXM worth $36 million over three years.
2025: Appearances of his daughter Samantha on ESPN and radio show
In 2025, Stephen A. Smith's daughter Samantha made appearances alongside her father on ESPN and on his radio show.
2025: Podcast Commentary on Capitalism
In a 2025 episode of his podcast, Stephen A. Smith described himself as a "proud capitalist", emphasizing his belief in making money.
2028: Possible Presidential Run
In November 7, 2024, Stephen A. Smith stated he would consider running for president in 2028 if he had a reasonable chance of victory.
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