Sports Fans React To Stephen A. Smith's Daughter's ESPN Debut
Sports Fans React To Stephen A. Smith's Daughter's ESPN Debut originally appeared on The Spun.
Game 6 of the NBA Finals was apparently "bring your daughter to work day" for Stephen A. Smith as his daughter Samantha joined him at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for ESPN's coverage of the Pacers-Thunder game.
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Smith's daughter Samantha arrived at the arena and was immediately invited to come onto the ESPN set, where she introduced herself and had a good time.
'Hi guys, I'm Samantha. I'm so happy to be here, I've made so many friends. This is really a great experience,' Samantha said. 'This is a really great experience and I feel really grateful to be here, you guys.'
Meanwhile, Smith seemed to be more embarrassed than words could describe - much to the delight of fans watching at home.
Later on in the coverage, Samantha nearly made her father's face turn red when she went against him by picking the Thunder to win the game rather than his choice of the Pacers.
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'I'm going OKC,' Samantha said. 'I think they're just going to end it tonight.'
Fans on social media absolutely loved to see it. Some only learned that he even had a daughter yesterday:
"That was brilliant, putting Stephen A. Smith's daughter on air. Cools down the temp around him," one user wrote.
"Didn't even know Stephen a Smith had a daughter lol. They are adorable," wrote another.
"Stephen A Smith's daughter Samantha embarrasses him on live TV. Put her on the halftime show!" another suggested.
"Note to basketball fans: Want Stephen A. Smith to ease up? Bring out his daughter—seems to shift his focus off the hot takes. Shows even the loudest voices need a family reset sometimes."
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"1st time Stephen A looks like a good dude in a loooong time. Can't never go against parenthood."
"More Samantha less Stephen please."
DALLAS, TEXAS - JUNE 12: ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith reports before Game Three of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on June 12, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by)For those fans only first learning that Stephen A. Smith is a father, he actually revealed all the way back in 2019 that he has not one, but two daughters - Samantha and Nyla.
But unless you remember reading a GQ story in 2019, it might be easy to forget.
Smith doesn't talk much about his personal life and uses his platform for giving his opinions about the world rather than giving people a look into his home life.
Related: Stephen A. Smith's Daughter Goes Viral At NBA Finals
Sports Fans React To Stephen A. Smith's Daughter's ESPN Debut first appeared on The Spun on Jun 20, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
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