While regular ESPN viewers see a lot of Stephen A. Smith, Thursday’s SportsCenter gave viewers the chance to see a side of Smith not often seen on camera — his paternal side.
Smith and Elle Duncan were on the floor at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, discussing Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. Duncan said that it was “Bring your daughter to work day” and called for Smith’s daughter, Samantha Smith, to join the pair on camera. While Stephen A. didn’t seem to love the idea, he did tell Samantha to “Say hi.” She did that and then some.
“Hi guys, I’m Samantha,” she said. When her dad briefly pulled the microphone away, Samantha said, “I’m talking here.”
Samantha continued.
“I’m Stephen’s daughter,” she added. “I’m so happy to be here, I’ve made so many friends. This is really…”
“You just got here five minutes ago,” her father interjected. Undaunted, Samantha finished her introduction.
“This is a really great experience,” Samantha said. “This is a really great experience and I feel really grateful to be here, you guys.”
We can say this about Samantha. Like her dad, she’s not afraid of either the microphone or the camera. Fortunately, she has a much different voice than her father.