Thursday, 07 May 2026

Stephen A. Smith

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Commentators 2026
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Sports Talk Show Host
Statistics & Accolades: Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame
National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame
CIAA Hall of Fame
Stephen A. Smith did not originate the boisterous on-air sports personality.

Stephen A. Smith did not originate the hot take.

Stephen A. Smith did not originate the sports debate format.

But he did perfect them.

Smith cut his teeth in the Philadelphia market, mostly covering basketball, but when ESPN first signed him for their NBA Shootaround show, little did they know they were signing the man who would become their highest-paid employee.

An accomplished writer, Smith is far better served with his gift of gab and art of the rant. He continued working on ESPN’s basketball programs and was given his own show, but it was the creation of First Take in 2012 that catapulted his career.

The pairing with Skip Bayless was a stroke of genius, as they played off each other brilliantly, elevating each other’s profile, but especially Smith, who did not care whose feathers he ruffled, regardless of the magnitude of their level of sports celebrity. Just ask LeBron James. When Bayless left, it was Smith whose stock rose even higher, and in the 2020s, there is no doubt who ESPN’s top dog is.

We are proud to nominate Stephen A. Smith for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.