Everyone Is Worried About Stephen A. Smith

Fans Worried As Stephen A. Smith Sparks Concern After Uneasy 'First Take' AppearanceStephen A. Smith (Photo By Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)
Stephen A. Smith is never short on words, until now. The face of ESPN’s First Take showed up Friday morning sounding more like a whisper than the fireball fans are used to. His raspy, strained voice left viewers surprised and concerned, especially given his usual loud and energetic presence.

The longtime ESPN analyst powered through the show despite clearly struggling to speak. Smith, who’s been a mainstay on First Take since 2012, didn’t acknowledge the condition on air. But fans didn’t miss a beat and quickly took to social media to express their worry and frustration, many urging the star to take a breather.

Fans React To Raspy Appearance

Stephen A. Smith Shares His Strong Opinion On Shannon Sharpe’s ESPN FutureStephen A. Smith (Photo By Tori Lynn Schneider / USA TODAY NETWORK)
Smith has been going full throttle lately. Between covering the NBA Playoffs and riding high after his beloved New York Knicks are leading the series 2-0 against the Boston Celtics, he may have simply pushed his voice too far. According to viewers, it showed.

“Get Stephen A Smith off the TV man he can’t talk today,” one fan wrote on X. “Bro absolutely fried his voice cheering for the Knicks.”

Another viewer chimed in, “Get Stephen A Smith off the TV man he can’t talk today. bro absolutely fried his voice cheering for the Knicks”

“Man Stephen A’s voice this morning — I hope his throat is okay,” a concerned user added.

Smith tackles more than just sports talk in his daily grind. When he’s not breaking down the latest NBA drama or clashing with his co-hosts over NFL takes, he’s branching out into acting. He currently holds a recurring role on General Hospital and once appeared in an episode of Law & Order. His brand is booming- and so is his workload.

The 56-year-old’s current contract with ESPN reportedly exceeds $100 million, a testament to how central he has become to the network’s identity. But fans know that even the hardest workers need rest, especially when the job involves constant high-volume talking.

While Friday’s show went on, many viewers hope Smith takes the weekend to recover. With the NBA Playoffs heating up and First Take gearing up for another big week, all eyes will be on Monday’s show to see if the voice of ESPN is back in full force.