Stephen A. Smith is returning to ESPN very soon. The 54-year-old ESPN host has missed over a month of work due to him having surgery on his shoulder. On Twitter, a fan recently asked Smith when he was returning to the popular ESPN show First Take, and Smith responded “August 15.”
Last month, Smith revealed that he’s missing from ESPN because “I’m rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Partial tear — rotator cuff AND Bicep, along with frayed Labrum, plus a Bone Spur. Aging sucks, but it is what it is. Back next month.” Smith has become arguably the most popular personality on ESPN. Along with his responsibilities on First Take, Smith covers the NBA and has his own show on ESPN+ called Stephen A’s World.
Back in 2016, Smith spoke to Complex and was asked what First Take meant to him. “It’s obviously very, very important to me. It’s been a hit show for a long time now—the last three years. It’s still going strong contrary to some of these reports out here. Still the No. 1 show on ESPN2 and we’re moving to ESPN,” Smith said. “For me personally it’s incredibly pivotal because it’s a two-hour appointment viewing platform every weekday morning. And for somebody like me who prides myself on being in a position to make a difference and to make an impact as opposed to just collecting a paycheck, it’s a very pivotal thing for me. It means the world to me.”
In the same interview, Smith shared advice he would give to young people looking to break into media. “I don’t care what you love to do, you can’t convince me that you’re going to love being a failure just because you’re doing something that you might wanna do and it ain’t getting you anywhere in life,” Smith explained. “It’s not improving or elevating your quality of life compared to that of others. It’s not allowing you or facilitating you to take care of the people you love, etc. So this notion of ‘Oh, I wanna do something, so that’s what I’m gonna do cause I wanna do it’—no. It’s whatever your gift is and how you can exploit it to the max. To assist in you becoming all that you dream of becoming, that’s what your goal needs to be.”
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