Stephen A. Smith Helped Build One of the Biggest Names in Sports Talk Shows

Stephen A. Smith is one of the most popular figures in sports television. What's his net worth?

Smith is the host of 'First Take.' He also hosts his own show, Stephen A's World, on ESPN+. Let's look at how he got to where he is today.

Smith's passion for basketball at a young age helped him earn a basketball scholarship to Winston-Salem State University, a historically Black university in Winston-Salem, N.C. However, a leg injury stopped him from playing. While Smith was recovering, he got involved with the school’s newspaper, The News Argus.

After realizing he had a talent for sports journalism and graduating from Winston-Salem with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication, Smith started writing for the Winston-Salem Journal, the city’s newspaper. He then branched out to bigger publications, such as Greensboro News and Record and New York Daily News.

Smith’s first major journalism role was with the Philadelphia Inquirer, which he joined in 1994 for 16 years until 2010. There, he built a strong network of professional athletes, coaches, and other professionals in the sports industry. He interviewed several major athletes, including former Philadelphia 76ers NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.

Smith always finds ways to give back to historically Black colleges. In 2019, a special, week-long edition of First Take took place live from the 76ers Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Del.

During the show, which was dedicated to Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week, Smith and ESPN offered scholarships to prospective college students. Smith has made various other donations to HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities) and often gives speeches at the schools.

The Queens native, contributing to ESPN since 2003, became a host for Fox Sports Radio in 2009. Smith became a hot commodity in the industry, and fellow TV sports journalist Skip Bayless persuaded him to join ESPN’s First Take in 2012.

After making First Take the globally recognized show that it is today, Bayless left ESPN in 2016 to join Fox Sports, and launched a global sports talk show with NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe: Skip and Shannon: Undisputed. Smith has stayed on as the main host of First Take.

Smith has a net worth of $16 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. As his role at ESPN has grown, he has been featured on many other shows, including his own on ESPN+, Stephen A’s World.