There is, perhaps, no greater proponent of hot take culture in traditional media and social media than Stephen A. Smith. This often hot-headed television personality always has something to say, whether it’s about the face of the NBA or which Cars character is the greatest of all time. How did he reach these levels of fame? Let’s go through his story together.

Born in the Bronx

A lot of media personalities were born in New York but no one represents these boroughs as well as Stephen A. Smith. He is the fourth child of Janet and Ashley Smith and is only one of two sons in the family. Their family moved to Hollis in Queens and this is also where he would end up graduating from Thomas Edison High School.

His hot takes did not come out of nowhere. He was a hooper during his youth but elected to enroll in the Fashion Institute of Technology. His insane acumen in playing on the hard court caught the attention of Winston-Salem State and he was offered a basketball scholarship. Clarence Gaines was the one who taught him to be a serviceable distributor but a tough knee injury prevented him from ever popping off.

Smith’s love for the game did not stop because of the ailment. He continued to surround himself in the sport and even debuted a piece in The News Argus about the need for Coach Gaines to retire. Little did he know, his career in journalism would be his key to success after his first byline. Smith got his Mass Communications degree in 1991 and notched a career start with the Winston-Salem Journal.

Looking for the path to ESPN

Smith ventured into different forms of media before getting his big break. He got positions in the Greensboro News and Record, the New York Daily News, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. It was the latter company that got him started on NBA beat writing. He started off writing reaction pieces about the Philadelphia 76ers before eventually dabbling in discussions regarding other sports. 

The column for the known Philly publication ran from 1994 to 2008. In that span of time, some readers and higher-ups criticized the insertion of his political views which led to his eventual termination. The column was reinstated in February 2010 after Smith won the arbitration over the publication.

While he was writing, Smith also took his talents on the air. He started a noontime show with Brandon Tierney on WEPN and it eventually got picked up by ESPN Radio too.  This all started in April of 2005 and the show died out exactly three years later as the talent sought better opportunities in television. It all happened after his Quite Frankly show got canceled.

This is when he joined Fox Sports Radio and got big breaks. From announcing Allen Iverson’s retirement to correctly pointing out LeBron James’ decision, which gave birth to the Heatles, he was must-see television from 2009 to 2010.

It did not take much time before ESPN wanted him back. His voice was heard on ESPN radio throughout the nation whether it was in New York, Los Angeles, or Miami starting in February of 2011. He also got on ESPN2’s First Take. Just over a year later, the Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show also debuted in May of 2012 but it also stopped in 2013 when Smith left for Mad Dog Chris Russo’s Sirius XM show.

First Take and the reason why he strives for more

Starting from April 30, 2012, Smith became a regular on First Take. He appears on everyone’s screens, loaded with fresh takes, throughout five days every week. His appearances made for exciting thought pieces and odd debates which would have not gotten much traction if it were any other personality.

He has two daughters and is giving them everything that he can such that they have a wonderful life. At one point in his career, he earned $5 million from ESPN, and this grew to an annual income of $13 million. As of 2024, he currently has a net worth of $25 million and is one of the world’s top personalities when it comes to sports media.