Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Stephen A. Smith
How Stephen A. Smith built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Stephen A. Smith is a prominent American sports television and radio personality, known for his outspoken opinions and analysis. He is a regular NBA analyst on ESPN's SportsCenter and NBA Countdown. He also hosts The Stephen A. Smith Show on ESPN Radio and is a commentator on First Take. Furthermore, he is a columnist for ESPN and The Philadelphia Inquirer, solidifying his presence across multiple media platforms within the sports world.
1994: Writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer
In 1994, Stephen A. Smith began his position as a writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, covering the Philadelphia 76ers as an NBA columnist and eventually becoming a general sports columnist.
1999: Television Career Start at CNN/SI
In 1999, Stephen A. Smith started his television career on the now-defunct cable network CNN/SI.
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 his "right-hand man 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 with Stephen A. Smith
In January 2007, the show Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith was cancelled, after which Stephen A. Smith mainly concentrated 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 in a cameo appearance 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 time shift and national broadcast
On September 20, 2007, Stephen A. Smith's radio show 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 appeared 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 show on WEPN came to an end as he sought to expand his career in television.
2008: Departure from The Philadelphia Inquirer
In 2008, The Philadelphia Inquirer ended its relationship with Stephen A. Smith, coinciding with him starting 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, due to the inability to reach an agreement.
May 1, 2009: Departure from ESPN
On May 1, 2009, Stephen A. Smith officially left ESPN after failing to reach an agreement on contract terms.
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 story of Allen Iverson's retirement.
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.
February 1, 2011: Return to ESPN
On February 1, 2011, ESPN announced that Stephen A. Smith would return to ESPN as a columnist for ESPN.com and host for weekday local radio shows.
2011: Resident 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: Joining First Take
On April 30, 2012, it was announced on air that Stephen A. Smith would be joining First Take on a permanent, five-days-per-week basis under a new format called "Embrace Debate" squaring off against Skip Bayless.
May 2012: Debut of Stephen A. Smith & Ryan Ruocco Show
In May 2012, Stephen A. Smith replaced Robin Lundberg alongside Ryan Ruocco 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, where he joined Chris Russo's Mad Dog Sports Channel.
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 controversial remarks.
2014: Commercials as "The Little Voice in Your Stomach"
Beginning in 2014, Stephen A. Smith appeared in a series of Oberto all-natural beef jerky commercials as "The Little Voice in Your Stomach" alongside various sports figures.
2014: Multi-year deal with ESPN
In 2014, Stephen A. Smith signed a multi-year deal with ESPN, earning him over $3 million per year.
March 31, 2016: Appearance as Brick on General Hospital
On March 31, 2016, Stephen A. Smith appeared as Brick on General Hospital, a role he has reprised every year since.
November 5, 2016: Joins Top Rank's broadcast team
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, where he began hosting a daily two-hour program.
2017: Wearing Aaron Rodgers' Jersey
In 2017, Stephen A. Smith wore Aaron Rodgers' jersey on two occasions on First Take. This occurred once after the Dallas Cowboys were eliminated by the Green Bay Packers, and again during a special First Take taping in Dallas, where Smith was booed by the audience. Smith frequently refers to Rodgers as a "bad man".
2018: J. R. Smith's Blunder and "Stay off the weed!"
In 2018, after J. R. Smith's mistake 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 the blunder was due to being high. The outburst was well-received by the audience.
2019: UFC commentator
In 2019, Stephen A. Smith became a UFC commentator as ESPN became the UFC's television broadcaster.
2020: Euro 2020 team selection
In 2020, Stephen A. Smith selected a Euro 2020 team
2020: Commentator for Academy Awards after-party coverage
In 2020, Stephen A. Smith served as a commentator for the after-party coverage of the 92nd Academy Awards on ABC.
June 10, 2021: Breaks into soccer coverage
On June 10, 2021, Stephen A. Smith broke into the soccer coverage space, selecting a Euro 2020 team.
June 14, 2021: Another soccer segment
On June 14, 2021, Stephen A. Smith followed up the soccer team selection with another soccer segment called "Ain't No Way".
2021: Increased Hockey Commentary
In 2021, Stephen A. Smith began talking about hockey more frequently on First Take and Stephen A.’s World, especially after ESPN acquired broadcasting rights for the NHL in the United States. He critiqued players and compared teams' failures. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl after they got swept by the Winnipeg Jets in the opening round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs and equated the Toronto Maple Leafs’ playoff failures to that of the Dallas Cowboys’.
2022: NHL on ESPN
In 2022, ESPN acquired broadcasting rights for the NHL in the United States.
