57-year-old Stephen Anthony Smith was born in The Bronx, New York, the youngest of six children of his mother, Janet, and father, Ashley.
American sports television personality and sports radio host Stephen A. Smith frequently appears as an NBA analyst for ESPN on SportsCenter and NBA Countdown.
He has also hosted “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on ESPN Radio and is a commentator on ESPN’s First Take, where he appears with Molly Qerim. Smith is a featured columnist for ESPN and The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Highlights
- Stephen A. Smith was born as the youngest child of his mother, Janet Smith and Ashley Smith.
- Stephen A. Smith’s mother was a registered nurse, and his father ran a hardware store.
- Stephen and his five siblings were raised by his mother, Janet, while his father was absent in his childhood and was a neglectful parent.
Recently, ESPN has been in talks with Stephen A. Smith for a contract granting him more freedom to cover topics beyond sports. However, this has yet to be confirmed.
Moreover, Stephen is renowned for his outspoken style and analysis of sports news and events, making him a key figure in sports journalism.
Stephen A. Smith credits his late mother, Janet Smith, for her profound influence on his life.
He has spoken openly about her sacrifices and pivotal role in raising him and his siblings, especially in light of his father’s absence.
Stephen A. Smith’s Mother, Janet Smith, Was A Nurse Who Passed Away In 2017
Smith was born on October 14, 1967, as the youngest child of his mother, Janet, and father, Ashley. Stephen and his five siblings were raised by his mother, while his father was a neglectful parent.
His mother, Janet, was a registered nurse at Queens General Hospital in New York. She worked there for more than twenty years.
Similarly, she also worked at the Police Athletic League (PAL) to fund her yearly savings and vacations.
Stephen’s mother retired from her work in 2005, the same year the ESPN host, Stephen, signed a $1.3 million annual contract to receive his show, “Quite Frankly.”
Stephen A. Smith called his proudest moment when he called his mom to work no more and provide herself with a vacation to Europe. He recalled,
“I looked at her boss, and I said ‘My mother’s not coming back,’ and I drove her back home three blocks away, and she was like ‘What’s going on?’ and I told her I signed this contract. ‘And your vacation,’ and I handed her two tickets to a trip to Europe, and I said, ‘You ain’t got to work no more. Go and enjoy yourself. It’s my turn
Stephen A. Smith
Unfortunately, he was unable to afford to purchase her dream home. His mother passed away on June 1, 2017, following a battle with colon cancer.
At that time, Stephen’s contract was insufficient to afford it, and it was not until 2019 that his contract was worth $60 million. Smith recalled,
“To watch my mother struggle the way that she did all of those years trying to take care of us because my father was real negligent and didn’t do his part, to see her go through what she went through and for me to have that moment,”
Stephen A. Smith
Stephen A. Smith’s Painful Past: A Father Who Called Him ‘Dumb
Stephen A. Smith’s parents were from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. His father, Ashley, managed a hardware store and was said to be living off his mother’s income.
Several interviews show Stephen A. Smith talking about his neglectful father and how his existence affected the whole family.
In the 10X Growth Conference, Stephen A. Smith revealed that when he was left back in the fourth grade, he had the reading level of a first grader.
His father told his mother that Stephen was not smart and tried to convince her to give up on him.
He further added that his father’s humiliation of him at 10 years old age became the reason to lift himself to prove his father wrong. The TV personality said,
When you go through something like that at that age, you find a way to lift yourself up and say I’m going to prove him wrong and anybody else who thinks that way about me
Stephen A. Smith
Furthermore, Stephen later revealed that his father had another family without him and his mother knowing. In the Howard Stern Show, Smith revealed that,
I get off the plane at LaGuardia Airport, a little kid comes up to me and jumps in my arms. I had no idea who he was and my father was right behind him and I said who is this he said your little brother
Stephen A. Smith
Additional Information
- As of 2024, Stephen A. Smith’s estimated net worth is around $25 million. He earns $13 million annually from his lucrative contract with ESPN.
- Stephen A. Smith has four older sisters and a half-brother on his father’s side. He also had an older brother named Basil, who passed in a car accident in 1992.
- Stephen A. Smith is of mixed ethnicity; his parents were from the West Indies and Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. His maternal grandmother was white, and the rest of his grandparents were Black.
