Stephen A. Smith’s Reaction To Daughter’s Guy Friend Goes Viral originally appeared on The Spun.
During the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder, ESPN allowed Stephen A. Smith’s daughter to make an appearance on “SportsCenter.”
Advertisement
Prior to Game 6 between the Pacers and Thunder, the sports world was introduced to Smith’s daughter Samantha. Although she doesn’t have her father’s experience on the microphone, she immediately won people over with her charisma.
“Hi guys, I’m Samantha. I’m so happy to be here, I’ve made so many friends. This is really a great experience,” she said. “This is a really great experience and I feel really grateful to be here, you guys.”
Shortly after Samantha made her “SportsCenter” debut, she appeared on “The Stephen A. Smith Show.” Unsurprisingly, a few of her conversations with her father went viral.
The best interaction came when Samantha mentioned her friend Jaylin. Let’s just say her father wasn’t expecting to hear a boy’s name come up during his show.
Advertisement
“Who’s Jaylin? Who’s Jaylin? Who that? I never heard of no Jaylin,” Smith told his daughter.
Samantha replied, “Oh, Jaylin is my friend.”
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 Tim Heitman/Getty Images)Tim Heitman/Getty Images
After Samantha answered her father’s question about Jaylin, she warned him that their exchange could go viral.
“Not you doing this on the podcast, it’s going to get clipped,” she said, via ClutchPoints. “Jaylin’s my friend, he lives in Atlanta. He’s an actor. He’s very successful.”
Smith ultimately let his daughter get the last word on this subject. It’s unclear if she’ll return during a future episode though.
As of right now, Smith is on vacation. ESPN announced that he was taking a break following the NBA Draft.
Advertisement
Smith, who received an extension worth $100 million earlier this year, has become the face of ESPN. There’s no doubt he’ll get to have his daughter back on TV if that’s what he wants.
Related: Sports Fans React To Stephen A. Smith’s Daughter’s ESPN Debut
Stephen A. Smith’s Reaction To Daughter’s Guy Friend Goes Viral first appeared on The Spun on Jun 28, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.