Stephen A Smith, a well-known American sports journalist, radio personality, and actor, is highly regarded in his field. He is a notable commentator on ESPN’s First Take and often serves as an NBA analyst on SportsCenter.
Having worked for over three decades, Smith’s net worth is currently in the millions, solidifying his position as one of the most affluent media figures and top-earning ESPN sportscasters.
Stephen A Smith Bio Summary
Full name: Stephen Anthony Smith
Gender: Male
Date of birth: October 14, 1967
Age: 57 years old (2024)
Zodiac sign: Libra
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York
Current residence: United States of America
Nationality: American
Ethnicity: African-American
Height: 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight: 154 lbs (70 kg)
Eye color: Black
Hair color: Black
Mother’s name: Janet Smith
Siblings: Four sisters and one brother
School: Thomas Edison High School
University: Fashion Institute of Technology and Wisdom-Salem State University
Sexuality: Straight
Marital status: Unmarried
Children: Nyla and Samantha
Profession: Sports journalist, radio host, and actor
Childhood & Education
Stephen A Smith, also known as Stephen Anthony Smith, was born on October 14, 1967, in the Bronx, New York City. He was raised by middle-class African-American parents and was the fifth child out of six.
His father was a skilled baseball player, which influenced Stephen’s passion for sports and led him to play basketball from a young age. In his childhood, he had four sisters and a brother, who unfortunately passed away in 1992.
Stephen A Smith completed his education at Thomas Edison High School in Queens, New York, achieving high grades. Additionally, he excelled in basketball and actively participated in the sport during his high school tenure.
After completing high school, Stephen decided to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology, a public college in Manhattan.
However, he later received a basketball scholarship to attend Winston-Salem University, a historically black university in North Carolina, before graduating from FIT. During his time at Winston-Salem, he joined the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, an African-American organization.
Career
Following his college graduation, Stephen A Smith joined the Winston-Salem Journal as a sports columnist and began writing as a clerk. After a while at this publication, he moved on to the New York Daily News and also had a brief stint at the Greensboro News and Record.
In 1994, he achieved a major milestone in his career by joining The Philadelphia Inquirer. Initially, he focused on reporting on NBA matches and was later tasked with covering the Philadelphia 76ers. As time passed, he expanded his role to include writing for the overall sports section.
From 2005 to 2007, he served as the presenter of ESPN’s Quite Frankly With Stephen A. Smith, and in 2014, he launched his own daily program, The Stephen A. Smith Show.
That same year, Stephen A Smith entered the world of acting by playing Brick on General Hospital. He also took on the role of Allan in I Think I Love My Wife that same year.
Additionally, in 2009, Anthony made an appearance on the Fox Radio Sports morning show and is well-known among fans for his accurate prediction that Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh would join the Miami Heat in 2010.
In 2009, he was also a guest on the Fox Radio Sports morning show, where he gained notoriety for correctly predicting the decision of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh to join the Miami Heat in 2010. Stephen rose to prominence through his appearances on ESPN’s First Take.
From 2012 to 2016, he collaborated with Skip Bayless on the program. When Bayless departed in 2016, Stephen joined forces with Max Kellerman, and they have remained as hosts on the show until now.
Personal Life
Stephen A Smith is currently single and has never been in a relationship or gotten married. Unlike other celebrities, he has chosen not to share any details about his romantic life with the public.
While he was previously engaged to an unidentified woman, their relationship ultimately ended after a significant amount of time.
He revealed that he has two daughters, one year apart in age. The daughters of Stephen A. Smith, Nyla, and Samantha, are one year apart in age. Information about their mother is still undisclosed.
Net Worth
Stephen A Smith was earning $5 million annually from his job at ESPN until April 2019. However, in mid-April of that year, he inked a new contract with the network that increased his salary to $8 million per year, making him the highest-paid personality at ESPN.
He held this title for almost a year until Tony Romo’s record-breaking $17 million per year deal with CBS in March 2020 surpassed him. Currently, as of 2024, Smith reportedly earns $13 million per year from ESPN. His estimated net worth is $20 million in 2024.
