History of Stephen A. Smith in Timeline
Stephen A. Smith, a prominent American sports analyst, is a familiar face on ESPN. He's known for his role as an NBA analyst on shows like SportsCenter and First Take, where he co-hosts with Molly Qerim. Previously, he hosted The Stephen A. Smith Show on ESPN Radio. Additionally, Smith contributes as a columnist for ESPN and The Philadelphia Inquirer, solidifying his presence across various media platforms within the sports world.
October 14, 1967: Stephen A. Smith's Birth
On October 14, 1967, Stephen Anthony Smith, later known as Stephen A., was born. He would become an American television personality, radio host, and sports analyst.
1986: Graduation from Thomas Edison 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, died in a car accident.
1994: Writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer
In 1994, Stephen A. Smith began working as a writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
1999: Television Career Start on CNN/SI
In 1999, Stephen A. Smith started his television career on the now-defunct cable network CNN/SI.
2004: Tie Games in Hockey
In 2004, Stephen A. Smith stated he knows nothing about hockey, mistakenly claimed that tie games still exist in the sport, even though the NHL abolished ties following the 2004–05 NHL lockout.
April 11, 2005: Host of Radio Show on WEPN
On April 11, 2005, Stephen A. Smith became the host of a weekday radio show on WEPN in New York City.
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, the show Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith was cancelled, and he concentrated on basketball analysis.
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: Shift of Radio Show Slot
On September 20, 2007, Stephen A. Smith's radio show 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
In April 2008, Stephen A. Smith's radio show came to an end as he sought to expand his career in television.
2008: End of Relationship with The Philadelphia Inquirer and Start of Blog
In 2008, The Philadelphia Inquirer ended its relationship with Stephen A. Smith, coinciding with Smith 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.
May 1, 2009: Departure from ESPN
On May 1, 2009, Stephen A. Smith officially left ESPN due to an inability to reach a new agreement.
November 2009: Contributor to Fox Sports Radio
In November 2009, Stephen A. Smith became an on-air contributor to Fox Sports Radio, breaking the story of Allen Iverson's retirement.
2009: Described as an 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.
February 2010: Return to The Philadelphia Inquirer
In February 2010, Stephen A. Smith returned to The Philadelphia Inquirer after winning an arbitrator's ruling, agreeing to remove his political views from his website and cable news shows.
February 1, 2011: Return to ESPN
On February 1, 2011, ESPN announced that Stephen A. Smith would return as a columnist for ESPN.com and host 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 ESPN
On April 30, 2012, it was announced that Stephen A. Smith would permanently join First Take five days a week under a new format called "Embrace Debate" with Skip Bayless.
May 2012: Debut of Stephen A. Smith & Ryan Ruocco Show
In May 2012, Stephen A. Smith debuted the Stephen A. Smith & Ryan Ruocco Show on 98.7 WEPN.
2013: Departure from ESPN for Sirius XM Radio
In 2013, Stephen A. Smith left ESPN for Sirius XM Radio, joining Chris Russo's Mad Dog Sports Channel, following controversial comments on ESPN2's First Take regarding the Ray Rice situation.
July 25, 2014: Controversial Remarks on First Take
On July 25, 2014, Stephen A. Smith made controversial remarks on First Take regarding domestic abuse in the Ray Rice case.
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.
August 6, 2014: Return to ESPN after Suspension
On August 6, 2014, Stephen A. Smith returned to ESPN programs after serving his one-week suspension.
2014: Oberto Beef Jerky Commercials
Beginning in 2014, Stephen A. Smith appeared in a series of Oberto all-natural beef jerky commercials as "The Little Voice in Your Stomach".
2014: Release of DeSean Jackson
In 2014, DeSean Jackson was released by the Philadelphia Eagles.
2014: Multi-Year Deal with ESPN
In late 2014, Stephen A. Smith signed a multi-year deal with ESPN paying him over $3 million per year.
March 9, 2015: Comments on Chip Kelly's Roster Moves
On March 9, 2015, during an episode of First Take, Stephen A. Smith commented on Chip Kelly's roster moves, suggesting they left some players feeling uncomfortable.
May 8, 2015: McCoy's Admission about Chip Kelly
On May 8, 2015, LeSean McCoy admitted in an interview that he believed some of Chip Kelly's roster moves were racially motivated.
June 11, 2015: Criticism for Comment on Female Soccer Players
On June 11, 2015, Stephen A. Smith received criticism for a comment he made about female soccer players during the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup regarding them not wanting 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 every year since.
November 5, 2016: Joining Top Rank's Broadcasting 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, hosting a daily two-hour program.
August 2017: Criticism of Zach Randolph
In August 2017, Stephen A. Smith criticized NBA player Zach Randolph, who was arrested for possession of marijuana with the intent to sell.
2017: Use of Catchphrases and Wearing Aaron Rodgers' Jersey on First Take
In 2017, Stephen A. Smith was known for using catchphrases like "blasphemous" on First Take and frequently referring to Aaron Rodgers as a "bad man". He also wore Rodgers' jersey twice on First Take: once after the Dallas Cowboys' elimination by the Packers and again during a live taping in Dallas.
2018: "Stay off the weed!" Line at First Take Taping
In 2018, following 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 in Oakland, implying J. R. Smith might have been high at the time.
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 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
In 2019, Stephen A. Smith signed a new contract with ESPN worth approximately $60 million over five years and became a UFC commentator.
2020: Commentator for Academy Awards After-Party
In 2020, Stephen A. Smith served as a commentator for the after-party coverage of the 92nd Academy Awards on ABC.
2020: The 92nd Academy Awards
In 2020, Stephen A. Smith served as a commentator for the after-party coverage of the 92nd Academy Awards on ABC.
June 10, 2021: Broke into Soccer Coverage Space
On June 10, 2021, Stephen A. Smith broke into the soccer coverage space.
June 14, 2021: Another Soccer Segment
On June 14, 2021, Stephen A. Smith followed up 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, who was arrested in Texas for marijuana possession.
2021: Increased Hockey Coverage and Playoff Commentary
In 2021, after ESPN acquired NHL broadcasting rights, Stephen A. Smith began discussing hockey more on First Take and Stephen A.’s World. He roasted Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl after their playoff loss and compared the Toronto Maple Leafs’ playoff failures to those of the Dallas Cowboys.
2022: Continued Hockey Coverage
In 2022, Stephen A. Smith continued discussing hockey more on First Take and Stephen A.’s World.
November 7, 2024: Considering a Presidential Run
On November 7, 2024, following the 2024 United States presidential election, Stephen A. Smith stated he would consider running in 2028 if he had a reasonable chance of victory.
2024: Criticism of Kamala Harris
In 2024, Stephen A. Smith announced he voted for Kamala Harris in the election on Real Time With Bill Maher. He expressed disappointment in her performance, stating it made him "feel like [a] damn fool".
February 2025: Entertaining a 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 receiving two percent of the vote in a Democratic primary poll.
May 2025: Donald Trump's Comments and Smith's Political Stance
In May 2025, Donald Trump suggested Stephen A. Smith should run in the next election, praising his entertainment skills. Shortly after, Smith told CNN's Jake Tapper that if he ran, it would be as a Democrat, though he expressed dissatisfaction with the party's current state and described himself as fiscally conservative and socially liberal.
2025: New Contract with ESPN
In 2025, Stephen A. Smith signed a new contract with ESPN worth over $100 million over five years.
2025: "Proud Capitalist"
In a 2025 episode of his podcast, Stephen A. Smith described himself as a "proud capitalist".
2028: Considering Presidential Run
In 2028, Stephen A. Smith considered running for president.
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