Stephen A. Smith is official World Solitaire Championship ambassador

Stephen A. Smith got caught playing solitaire during Game 4 of the NBA Finals, and now he’s turning it into a sponsorship opportunity.

Ahead of the first-ever World Solitaire Championship (WSC), mobile gaming company Papaya has made Stephen A. Smith the event’s official ambassador. The inaugural event is scheduled to take place next February in one of Smith’s favorite cities, Miami.

“When I first heard about the World Solitaire Championship, I was intrigued,” Smith said in the press release. “They’re taking a classic game and turning it into something bigger, something that celebrates skill and competition, and that’s something I’m proud to be a part of.”

Smith proudly defended himself earlier this year when he was unknowingly photographed and filmed playing solitaire while sitting in the stands during Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. And with Smith’s passion for solitaire being revealed, it led to this moment of ESPN’s $100 million talent being named the official ambassador of the WSC.

We’ve all been there, trying to sneak a little solitaire on our phone during a meeting or class. And certainly, Smith wasn’t the only one at the game who was on his phone. But Smith was widely chastised for being paid by ESPN to be there. To the critics, Smith said, “Kiss my ass.” And five months later, the First Take host appears to have turned what seemed like a gaffe at the time into a money-making opportunity.

Smith proved everyone needs a little distraction now and then. And to build on that, the ambassadorship announcement is paired with an AI-driven online ad campaign that sees Smith portray life as a distraction from solitaire, rather than the other way around.

.@stephenasmith with the best game time distraction @solitairecash👇 pic.twitter.com/g1aygjbLFg

— Sports (@Sports) November 3, 2025

“When Stephen A. Smith was caught playing Solitaire courtside during the NBA Finals, we knew right away that this was more than a viral moment; it was proof of how timeless and irresistible this game is,” Papaya vice president of marketing Uri Pearl added in the announcement. “Stephen A. embodies the spirit of the World Solitaire Championship, which is about the Power of Play, competition, culture, and personality. Choosing him as our ambassador felt completely natural.”