Stephen Anthony Smith (born )
is an American sports television personality, sports radio host, and sports journalist. He is a commentator on ESPN's
''First Take'', where he appears with
Molly Qerim
Molly Qerim (born March 31, 1984) is an American television personality and a host of ESPN's '' First Take''. She previously was the host of NFL Network's weekday morning show, ''NFL AM'', and ''NFL Fantasy Live''.
Early life
Qerim was born ...
. He also makes frequent appearances as an NBA analyst on ''
SportsCenter''. Smith also is an NBA analyst for ESPN on ''NBA Countdown'' and NBA broadcasts on ESPN. He also hosted ''The Stephen A. Smith Show'' on
ESPN Radio. Smith is a featured columnist for ESPNNY.com, ESPN.com, and ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...
''.
Early life and education
Stephen Anthony Smith was born in
the Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
, a
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle A ...
of New York City. He was raised in the
Hollis section of
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
.
Smith is the fifth of six children.
He has four older sisters and had a younger brother, Basil, who died in a car accident in 1992. He also has a half-brother on his father's side. Smith's parents were originally from
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. His father managed a hardware store. Smith's maternal grandmother was white, the rest of his grandparents black. He graduated in 1986 from
Thomas Edison High School in Queens.
After attending the
Fashion Institute of Technology
The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is a public college in New York City. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) and focuses on art, business, design, mass communication, and technology connected to the fashion industry. ...
for one year, Smith received a basketball scholarship to attend
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is a historically black public university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina.
History
Winston-Salem State University was founded as Slater Industrial Academy o ...
, a
historically black university
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. Mo ...
in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in ...
. In college, he
played basketball under
Hall of Fame coach
Clarence Gaines
Clarence Edward "Big House" Gaines Sr. (May 21, 1923 – April 18, 2005) was an American college men's basketball coach with a 47-year coaching career at Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Among his numerous honors fo ...
. While still on the team, Smith wrote a column for the university newspaper,
The News Argus', arguing Gaines should retire due to health issues.
[Richard Sandomir]
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', July 31, 2005, Accessed January 22, 2009. He is a member of the
Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Smith graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication.
Career
Print media
Smith began his print media career with the ''
Winston-Salem Journal
The ''Winston-Salem Journal'' is an American, English language daily newspaper primarily serving Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, North Carolina. It also covers Northwestern North Carolina.
The paper is owned by Lee Enterprises. ''The Journa ...
'', the ''
Greensboro News and Record
The ''News & Record'' is an American, English language newspaper with the largest circulation serving Guilford County, North Carolina, and the surrounding region. It is based in Greensboro, North Carolina, and produces local sections for Greensbo ...
'', and the ''
New York Daily News''.
Beginning in 1994, Smith had a position as a writer for ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...
''. He began reporting on the
Philadelphia 76ers as their
NBA columnist, and eventually, as a general sports columnist. On August 23, 2007, the ''Inquirer'' announced that Smith would no longer be writing columns and would instead be demoted back to the position of general assignment reporter. In 2008, the ''Inquirer'' ended its relationship with Smith, which coincided with Smith starting his own blog, stephena.com. In February 2010, Smith returned to ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' after winning an arbitrator's ruling that he was to be reinstated but having to agree to remove all of his political views from his website and from cable news shows.
Radio
Smith in 2009
On April 11, 2005, 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)". On September 20, 2007, the show was shifted to the 2–4 p.m. slot, with the second hour being broadcast nationally on
ESPN Radio, replacing the third hour of ''
The Dan Patrick Show
''The Dan Patrick Show'' is a syndicated radio and television sports talk show, hosted by former ESPN personality Dan Patrick. It is currently produced by Patrick and is syndicated to radio stations by Premiere Radio Networks, within and indepe ...
'' (
Mike Tirico took over the first two hours). Smith's show came to an end in April 2008 as he sought to expand his career in television, and beginning May 1,
Scott Van Pelt
Scott Van Pelt (born ) is an American sportscaster and sports talk show host. He co-anchored the 11 p.m. edition of ''SportsCenter'' on ESPN, served as the co-host of '' SVP & Russillo'' alongside Ryen Russillo on ESPN Radio, and hosts various ...
began hosting in the 3–4 p.m. hour that was previously Smith's.
In November 2009, Smith became an on-air contributor to
Fox Sports Radio and broke the story of
Allen Iverson's retirement on the
Chris Myers
Chris Myers (born ) is an American sportscaster. He has covered the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA Finals, the NCAA Final Four, The Masters, the U.S. Open, the Triple Crown, the Olympics, and the Daytona 500.
Early life and care ...
–
Steve Hartman afternoon show on November 25. Iverson later ended his short retirement and re-joined the
Philadelphia 76ers on December 2. Smith became a Fox Sports Radio morning show host on January 4, 2010, replacing Washington, D.C.-based host
Steve Czaban. On his radio program, Smith correctly predicted that
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest p ...
,
Dwyane Wade, and
Chris Bosh
Christopher Wesson Bosh (born March 24, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. A Texas Mr. Basketball in high school, he played one season of college basketball for Georgia Tech before declaring for the 2003 NBA draft. Bo ...
would all sign with the
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...
during 2010 free agency. In early 2011, Smith became a resident FSR NBA insider and ended his morning show.
It was announced on February 1, 2011, that Smith would be returning to ESPN as a columnist for ESPN.com and host for weekday local radio shows on 1050 ESPN Radio New York (
WEPN-AM) at 7–9 p.m. ET as well as 710 ESPN Radio Los Angeles (
KSPN-AM) at 6–8 p.m. PT. April 24, 2012, was Smith's last show for LA 710 ESPN.
In 2013, Smith left ESPN for
Sirius XM Radio
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...
, where he joined
Chris Russo
Christopher Michael Russo (born October 18, 1959), also known as Mad Dog, is an American sports radio personality best known as the former co-host of the '' Mike and the Mad Dog'' sports radio program with Mike Francesa, which was broadcast on ...
's
Mad Dog Sports Channel. The move was announced just one day after Smith made some controversial comments on
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%).
ESPN2 was initially fo ...
's ''First Take'' program regarding the
Ray Rice
Raymell Mourice Rice (born January 22, 1987) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football at Rutgers, where he received first-t ...
situation.
On January 17, 2017, Smith moved from Sirius XM's Mad Dog Sports channel back to ESPN. His daily two-hour program is heard on WEPN in New York, KSPN in Los Angeles, Sirius XM's ESPN channel, and via syndication.
Television
Smith is currently one of the hosts of ''First Take'' on ESPN. He also appears as an analyst on various ESPN programs. He is known for provocative analysis and dour delivery.
Smith started his television career on the now-defunct cable network
CNN/SI
CNN/Sports Illustrated (CNN/SI) was a 24-hour sports news network. It was created by Time Warner, merging together its CNN and ''Sports Illustrated'' brands and related resources. It was launched on December 12, 1996.
Other news networks like ...
in 1999.
In August 2005, Smith started hosting a daily hour-long show on ESPN called ''Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith''. After the show was cancelled in January 2007, he mainly concentrated on basketball, serving as an
NBA analyst. He also appeared on other ESPN shows, including the
reality series
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
''
Dream Job
''Dream Job'' is an American reality television show made by ESPN, which began on February 22, 2004. It was the network's second reality show, with two editions of ''Beg, Borrow & Deal'' having previously aired. However, this was the first realit ...
'', as well as serving as a frequent guest (and guest host) on ''
Pardon the Interruption
''Pardon the Interruption'' (abbreviated ''PTI'') is an American sports talk television show that airs weekdays on various ESPN TV channels. It is hosted by Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, who discuss, and frequently argue over, the top stor ...
'', ''
Jim Rome Is Burning
''Jim Rome Is Burning'' (originally titled ''Rome Is Burning'' and often abbreviated as ''JRIB'') is a sports conversation and opinion show hosted by Jim Rome. Debuting on May 6, 2003, as ''Rome Is Burning'', it was originally a weekly show in pri ...
'', and as a participant on ''
1st and 10''. He appeared as an anchor on the Sunday morning edition of ''
SportsCenter''. On April 17, 2009, Smith announced on his website that he would be leaving ESPN on May 1, 2009. The ''Los Angeles Times'' reported that ESPN commented that, "We decided to move in different directions." Though according to ''Big Lead Sports'', a source says that ESPN and Smith went to the negotiating table and could not reach an agreement.
Smith later returned to ESPN, and it was announced on April 30, 2012, on air that Smith would be joining ''First Take'' on a permanent, five-days-per-week basis under a new format for the show called "Embrace Debate" in which he squares off against longtime ''First Take'' commentator
Skip Bayless
Skip Bayless (born John Edward Bayless II) is an American sports columnist, commentator, and television personality. He is well-known for his work as a commentator on the ESPN2 show '' First Take'' with Stephen A. Smith, a show which he left ...
.
On July 25, 2014, Smith made controversial remarks on ''First Take'' that women may provoke domestic abuse, in regards to the domestic violence situation involving
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
' running back
Ray Rice
Raymell Mourice Rice (born January 22, 1987) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football at Rutgers, where he received first-t ...
and his wife. After criticism of the remarks, including comments on Twitter from ESPN reporter
Michelle Beadle
Michelle Denise Beadle (born October 23, 1975) is an American sports reporter and host who is part of the San Antonio Spurs broadcast team. Beadle was formerly the co-host of the ESPN morning sports show '' Get Up!'' along with Jalen Rose and ...
, Smith apologized for his words on a taped segment on ESPN. On July 29, 2014, Smith was suspended by ESPN for a week and did not appear on any of their programs again until August 6, 2014.
In late 2014, Smith signed a multi-year deal with ESPN that will pay him over $3 million per year.
In a March 9, 2015, episode of ''First Take'', while discussing the topic of
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
' head coach
Chip Kelly
Charles Edward Kelly (born November 25, 1963) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the UCLA Bruins. He came to prominence as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks from 2009 to 2012, whom he led to four consecutive BCS bowl ga ...
trading away running back
LeSean McCoy
LeSean Kamel McCoy (born July 12, 1988), nicknamed "Shady", is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the ...
to the
Buffalo Bills for linebacker
Kiko Alonso
Kristian "Kiko" Alonso (born August 14, 1990) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
After a stellar rookie season with the Bills, Alonso missed his second season ...
, Smith said: "Chip Kelly has made decisions over the last couple of years that, dare I say, leave a few brothers feeling uncomfortable." Michael David Smith of NBS Sports believed that Smith had hinted Kelly's roster moves regarding the 2014 release of wide receiver
DeSean Jackson
DeSean William Jackson (born December 1, 1986) is an American football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, where he was recognized as a con ...
, the McCoy trade, and letting wide receiver
Jeremy Maclin
Jeremy Maclin (born May 11, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Missouri, where he was a two-time consensus All-American, and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2009 NF ...
depart for free agency to sign with the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The ...
, while still keeping wide receiver
Riley Cooper
Riley Cooper (born September 9, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, where he was a member of two BCS National C ...
on the Eagles' roster might be racially motivated. In an interview with ''
ESPN The Magazine
''ESPN The Magazine'' was an American monthly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998. Initially published every other week, it scaled back to 24 issues a year ...
'' that was published on May 8, 2015, McCoy admitted that while he respected Kelly as a head coach, he did not see eye to eye with him. McCoy also believed that some of the roster moves that are being made by Kelly are racially motivated. Kelly has said that the roster moves that he has made have nothing to do with race, it has to do with finding the right players that fit well into his team. Smith defended his comments by saying that he never used a form of the word racism to imply that Kelly was a racist.
On June 11, 2015, Smith received criticism for a comment he made about female soccer players during the
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup was the seventh FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international soccer championship contested by the women's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament was hosted by Canada for the ...
. While on ''
SportsCenter'', a replay was shown of a goal scored by
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
on a free kick against
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
Tim Legler
Timothy Eugene Legler (born December 26, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently an ESPN basketball analyst and co-host/analyst on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
Co ...
pointed out that the German players forming the wall turned their heads as the ball went by, and Smith joked that the players "might not have wanted to mess up their hair". Smith's comment was criticized as being sexist and a poor joke.
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
said they spoke with Smith about the comment, and he later apologized in a series of tweets.
On November 5, 2016, Smith joined
Top Rank
Top Rank, Inc. is a boxing promotional company founded by Jabir Herbert Muhammad and Bob Arum, which was incorporated in 1973, and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Since its founding, Top Rank has promoted many world class fighters, including Muh ...
's broadcasting team for the
Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas boxing
pay-per-view event. In 2019, Smith became a
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
commentator as
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
became the UFC's television broadcaster.
In 2020, Smith served as a commentator for the after-party coverage of the
92nd Academy Awards
The 92nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 2019 and took place on February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, beginning at 5:00 p ...
on ABC.
On June 10, 2021 Smith broke into the soccer coverage space as he put it "let's do that soccer". Smith selected a Euro2020 team and followed this up with another soccer segment called "Ain't No Way" on June 14, 2021.
Acting
Smith made his acting debut on the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
General Hospital'' in a cameo appearance as a television reporter on February 2, 2007.
Smith is a longtime fan of the show, as his older sisters watched it every day growing up. Smith appeared as Brick on ''General Hospital'' on March 31, 2016,
and has made guest appearances in the role every year since.
In 2007, Smith was in the
Chris Rock film ''
I Think I Love My Wife
''I Think I Love My Wife'' is a 2007 American romantic comedy film starring Chris Rock, Gina Torres and Kerry Washington. Rock co-wrote the film with Louis C.K. and also directed and produced it. It is a remake of the 1972 French film '' Love i ...
''.
Beginning in 2014, he has appeared in a series of
Oberto all-natural
beef jerky
Jerky is lean trimmed meat cut into strips and dried (dehydrated) to prevent spoilage. Normally, this drying includes the addition of salt to prevent bacteria growth before the meat has finished the dehydrating process. The word "jerky" derive ...
commercials as "The Little Voice in Your Stomach", each time appearing alongside sports figures, such as star athletes
Seattle Seahawks cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
Richard Sherman and pro snowboarder
Louie Vito, and notable basketball
sportscaster Dick "Dickie V" Vitale.
Personal life
In a December 11, 2019, interview with ''
GQ'', Smith disclosed that he has two daughters, aged 10 and 11 years old at the time. He was once engaged. When asked why he never went through with the marriage, he said: "It didn't work out. Matter of fact, I just told my sister that the other day: none of your business ... Something about my job and my money. I said this is not a discussion. You'll get an answer if I want to give you an answer."
Smith is a fan of hometown teams the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
and
New York Knicks.
Filmography
Film
Television
''First Take'' catchphrases
Smith is known for his frequent use of catchphrases while hosting ''First Take'', such as "blasphemous" when describing something completely outrageous that does not make sense to him. He also frequently refers to
Green Bay Packers quarterback
Aaron Rodgers as a "baaaaaaaad man" (with the "A" stretched out for several seconds). Smith has worn Rodgers' jersey on two occasions on ''First Take'' in 2017: once following the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
' elimination at the hands of the Packers and once during a special taping of ''First Take'' from
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
where Smith received boos from the live crowd.
Smith has been known to show a strong hatred towards the Cowboys, often at times mocking them with their "How 'Bout Them Cowboys?" slogan in a sarcastic manner, claiming that they are "an accident waiting to happen", and calling them "a damn disgrace". A song was even made all about Smith's hatred of the Cowboys. He has frequently mocked former Cowboys player and fellow ''First Take'' commentator
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin (born March 5, 1966) is an American sports commentator and former professional football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). In 2007, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fa ...
after losses, as well as other past and present ESPN employees who were known Cowboys fans such as
Skip Bayless
Skip Bayless (born John Edward Bayless II) is an American sports columnist, commentator, and television personality. He is well-known for his work as a commentator on the ESPN2 show '' First Take'' with Stephen A. Smith, a show which he left ...
,
Will Cain and
Marcus Spears.
Knowledge about hockey
Smith has been known to say many times that he knows absolutely nothing about the sport of hockey, such as by saying that tie games still exist in the sport (the NHL abolished ties following the
2004–05 NHL lockout), despite the presence of three hockey teams from within the New York metropolitan area where he was brought up. In recent years, and especially after ESPN acquired broadcasting rights for the NHL in the United States as of the
2021-2022 season, Smith would talk about hockey more often on both ''First Take'' and his new show ''Stephen A.’s World'', such as when he roasted the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
’
Connor McDavid
Connor Andrew McDavid (born January 13, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Oilers selected him first overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
McDavid spen ...
and
Leon Draisaitl
Leon Tim Draisaitl (; born 27 October 1995) is a German professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Draisaitl grew up playing hockey in Germany until he was selected second ove ...
after they got swept by the
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...
in the opening round of the
2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL). The playoffs began on May 15, 2021, and concluded on July 7, 2021, with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning their second consecutive and third overall St ...
and equated the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
’ playoff failures to that of the Dallas Cowboys’. Smith would also have NHL defenseman
P.K. Subban occasionally appear as a guest on both shows.
Opposition to recreational marijuana
Smith is known for his outspoken stance on
NFL players and the usage of
marijuana (still prohibited by league policy, punishable by fine or suspension), loudly telling players to "Stay off the weed!" Examples of players that he has called out for smoking the drug include
Stedman Bailey,
Adrian Peterson
Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...
,
Josh Gordon
Joshua Caleb Gordon (born April 13, 1991) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He previously played for the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Tennessee Titans. Nicknamed ...
,
Joseph Randle
Joseph David Randle (born December 29, 1991) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college foo ...
,
Randy Gregory,
Aldon Smith
Aldon Jacarus Smith (born September 25, 1989) is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football at Missouri, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers seventh overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. Smith also played ...
,
LeGarrette Blount
LeGarrette Montez Blount (; born December 5, 1986) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football at Oregon after transferring from East Mississippi Commun ...
,
Le'veon Bell
Le'Veon Andrew Bell Sr. ( ; born February 18, 1992) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football at Michigan State and was drafted 48th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 20 ...
, and
Martavis Bryant
Martavis Alexander Bryant (born December 20, 1991) is an American gridiron football wide receiver for the Vegas Vipers of the XFL. He played college football at Clemson, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the ...
. He also has the same reaction for athletes of other leagues getting caught with the usage of marijuana. Firstly, when the
NBA's
Zach Randolph
Zachary McKenley Randolph (born July 16, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Z-Bo", the 2-time NBA All-Star played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans before being drafted in the 2001 NBA draft by ...
was caught and subsequently arrested for possession of marijuana with the intent to sell in August 2017, then another NBA star,
D'Angelo Russell
D'Angelo Danté Russell (born February 23, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected as a McDonald's All-American in 2014 and played college ba ...
, getting cited for marijuana possession inside his luggage at New York's
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. Covering , the facility was established in 1929 and began operating as a public airport in 1939. It is named after former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia ...
while flying to
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
in May 2019, and then
Alex Caruso
Alex Michael Caruso (born February 28, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Bald Mamba" or "Carushow", he played college basketball for the Texas A&M A ...
after the NBA star was arrested in
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
for marijuana possession in June 2021.
The day after the
Golden State Warriors Game 1 overtime victory in the
2018 NBA Finals
The 2018 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2017–18 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff, the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champio ...
, which saw
Cleveland Cavaliers player
J. R. Smith
Earl Joseph "J. R." Smith III (born September 9, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Smith played high school basketball at New Jers ...
dribble the ball out without attempting a shot in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter, thinking his team was leading the game rather than attempting to break the tie score, Stephen A. Smith jokingly delivered his "Stay off the weed!" line at the request of the live crowd attending the live ''First Take'' taping in
Oakland, garnering applause from the crowd and his ''First Take'' co-hosts. The Warriors ultimately won the series and the NBA championship in a four-game sweep.
References
External links
Official website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Stephen A.
1967 births
Living people
Sportspeople from the Bronx
Sportspeople from Queens, New York
Sportswriters from New York (state)
People from Hollis, Queens
Basketball players from New York City
African-American basketball players
African-American sports journalists
African-American television talk show hosts
American men's basketball players
American people of United States Virgin Islands descent
American sports journalists
American sports radio personalities
American television talk show hosts
Disney people
ESPN people
Guards (basketball)
National Basketball Association broadcasters
Winston-Salem State Rams men's basketball players
Fashion Institute of Technology alumni