Stephen Anthony Smith is an American sports television personality, sports radio host, sports journalist, and actor. Smith is a commentator on ESPN First Take, where he appears with Max Kellerman and Molly Qerim. He also makes frequent appearances as an NBA analyst on SportsCenter. He also is an NBA analyst for ESPN on NBA Countdown and NBA broadcasts on ESPN. Smith formerly hosted The Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show on ESPN Radio New York 98.7 FM. He now hosts "The Stephen A. Smith Show" on the Chris Russo sports radio station: Mad Dog Sports Radio (SIRIUS XM Radio, channel 82) and is a featured columnist for ESPNNY.com, ESPN.com, and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Smith was born in the Bronx borough of New York City on October 14, 1967. He was raised in the Hollis section of Queens. Smith is the second youngest of six children. He has four older sisters and a younger brother named Basil, who died in a car accident in October 1992. He also has a half brother on his father's side. Smith's parents were originally from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. His father managed a hardware store. Smith's maternal grandmother was white, while the rest of his grandparents were black. Smith graduated from Thomas Edison High School in Queens.

After attending the Fashion Institute of Technology for one year, Smith received a basketball scholarship to attend Winston-Salem State University, a historically black university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. While in college, he played basketball under Hall of Fame coach Clarence Gaines. While still on the team, Smith wrote a column for the university newspaper, The News Argus, arguing Gaines should retire due to health issues. He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

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