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Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Stephen A. Smith's daughter makes rare TV appearance for awkward ESPN interview before NBA Finals
While basketball fans are used to seeing Stephen A. Smith on their television screens, they were treated to a rare glimpse of another member of the Smith clan Thursday night. The analyst was performing his ESPN duties alongside Elle Duncan on the floor of Gainbridge Fieldhouse when Game 6 of the NBA Finals turned into 'Bring your daughter to work' day. Smith's daughter, Samantha A. Smith, made a surprise appearance on the broadcast when Duncan called her over from the sidelines. But Smith didn't appear to be a fan of the idea as he remained tense throughout his daughter's stint in front of the camera. 'Say hi,' he told Samantha, who gladly accepted the invitation and ran with it as she greeted viewers and then some. 'Hi guys, I'm Samantha,' the 17-year-old said. When her dad briefly pulled the microphone away, Samantha said, 'I'm talking here.' Stephen A. Smith brought his daughter to work for Game 6 of Thunder - Pacers… BUT WHEN LEBRON DO IT 😂😂 — Hater Report (@HaterReport_) June 19, 2025 Much to his dismay, Stephen A Smith's daughter made a shock appearance on ESPN 'I'm Stephen's daughter,' she continued. '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. But Samantha, undeterred, ploughed on, adding: 'This is a really great experience. This is a really great experience and I feel really grateful to be here, you guys.' Samantha appears to have inherited her father's fearlessness in front of the camera as she refused to hold her tongue when asked for her opinions. She was invited back on the ESPN broadcast as NBA Countdown host Malika Andrews welcomed her to the panel to give her pick between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. 'I'm going OKC,' Samantha revealed, going against her dad and his pick of the Indiana Pacers. 'I think they're just going to end it tonight,' she continued as Smith looked exasperated next to her. 'I think Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) has been killing it all season and he won MVP for a reason. So I think we're just going to finish it out now.' His NBA Countdown colleagues ribbed Smith, claiming that they 'much preferred' her pick over her dad's and that she made it a much better show. 'You're going against your daddy on live television?' a disgruntled Smith questioned, to which Samantha merely shrugged adding, 'I think he knows I'm right.' Stephen A. Smith's face while his daughter gives her picks. 💀 — TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 20, 2025 'She usually beats me on predictions,' he later begrudgingly admitted. Smith didn't reveal that he was a father until 2019 when he Samantha and her sister Nyla were already 11 and 10. The mother has been kept anonymous. 'My daughters are everything to me,' Smith said during an appearance on The Breakfast Club in 2023. 'I make sure that they are taken care of first. [My mom] was proud of the father I am and I'm very happy and proud of the father I am.' Samantha is no stranger to the spotlight with Smith's mini-me pursuing an acting career. The budding actress has starred in Peacock's The Best Man: The Final Chapters in 2022 and Disney+'s 2023 series Saturdays.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS WNBA admits referees made mistake in wild Caitlin Clark brawl... after Fever star was brutally slammed to the floor
Marina Mabrey should have been ejected for her brutal shove on Caitlin Clark in Tuesday's fiery game between the Connecticut Sun and Indiana Fever, the WNBA has ruled. When Clark reacted angrily to being jabbed in the eye by Connecticut's Jacy Sheldon, Mabrey raced over and slammed the Indiana superstar to the ground. Basketball fans were left dismayed by the fact she was not ejected from the game, and less than 24 hours later WNBA chiefs agreed with that when they upgraded her technical foul to a flagrant 2. More to follow.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mussatto: Brace yourselves, Thunder fans. Beating Pacers for NBA title is no safe bet.
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. LIVE UPDATES: Follow The Oklahoman's live coverage of Thunder vs. Pacers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. INDIANAPOLIS — A sea of gold-clad Pacers fans, their chests puffed, spilled onto the concourse after Indiana's 116-107 Game 3 win Wednesday night in Indianapolis. Amid the cacophony of chatter and cheers, I heard something that struck me. Advertisement 'I still think they think they're supposed to win,' one Pacers fan said. They, being the Thunder. I don't know if the Thunder ever thought it was supposed to win these NBA Finals — that kind of entitlement is contrary to OKC's organizational dogma — but not until Wednesday night, filing out of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, did I entertain the idea that the Pacers could actually win this series. That the Thunder could actually lose it. Maybe the Pacers are a team of destiny. Maybe the Thunder is beatable. I picked the Thunder in five before the series, and even after Indiana got a split in Oklahoma City, I stuck with my prediction. Thunder in five is no longer mathematically possible. Pacers in five is. Advertisement Alternating chants of 'INDY … ANA' echoed in the concrete stairwell as fans exited the arena. More: Thunder vs Pacers grades: Bennedict Mathurin turns NBA Finals in Indiana's favor in Game 3 'I can't believe we experienced that,' a Pacers fan said as they shuffled onto Delaware Street, where the air was thick with astonishment. A firetruck did victory laps around the arena. 'Let's go Pacers!' one of the firefighters said over a megaphone. This series is far from over, but the Pacers have already made it more competitive than most of us thought. Haliburton was brilliant in Game 3, outplaying Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. T.J. McConnell and the Pacers were Thunder-like in their theft. Bennedict Mathurin outscored … everybody. The Thunder wasted a rare, good 3-point shooting game on the road with brick after brick from the midrange. Advertisement Still, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle doubled-down on his praise for the Thunder the morning after Game 3. Carlisle has been in this business long enough to know an all-time team when he sees one. 'The magnitude of the challenge with Oklahoma City is daunting because of the kind of year that they had and how great they are,' Carlisle said. 'They're historically great in so many different areas, and they got the MVP. It's hard. It takes nothing less than everything we possibly have … It's only been three games. It feels like it's been longer.' Haliburton was similarly humble, which tells you something. More: How T.J. McConnell, Pacers snatched Game 3 away from Thunder to take 2-1 NBA Finals lead Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) goes up for a shot against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, during Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. 'To play against these guys is an honor,' Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. 'It's a lot of fun. This is a 68-win team, historically one of the best defenses ever. This is a really good team. They have the MVP. They have a bunch of dudes who are going to be in this league for a long time having a lot of success.' Advertisement The idea of this Pacers team beating the Thunder four times in seven tries seemed improbable. Whether you're into analytics or the eye test, there wasn't a rational case to pick the Pacers. But now … you don't have to squint to envision Haliburton and Co. raising the Larry O'Brien trophy. And yet I'm still picking the Thunder to win the series. OKC has been here before, down 2-1 to Denver in the Western Conference semifinals. The Thunder won Game 4 in Denver which set up a three-game series with two of the final three games in OKC. The Thunder won that series in seven, and could follow the same blueprint against the Pacers. 'I can't say enough good things about their team as a group,' Haliburton said. 'I think the most fun part about basketball is if you're going to win, you don't want to do it any other way than to beat the best. This team has been the best team in the NBA all year. They consistently respond when their backs are against the wall.' Advertisement Can the Thunder do it again? I think so. That Pacers fan made me pause, though. Maybe Indiana could actually do this. More: Thunder vs Pacers prediction: NBA Finals Game 4 odds, injury updates for OKC-Indiana Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@ . Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at . This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Thunder was favorite to win NBA Finals, but Pacers flipped narrative
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Pacers and Thunder are set for a pivotal Game 5 in an NBA Finals that has been back and forth
OKLAHOMA CITY — The ratings are down for these NBA Finals , as was expected. Oklahoma City vs. Indiana is a small-market series and the numbers reflect that, with viewership down about 20% from last season and on pace for the poorest TV turnout since the pandemic 'bubble' finals in 2020.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
All Eyes on Caitlin Clark Ahead of Major Injury Update Thursday
All Eyes on Caitlin Clark Ahead of Major Injury Update Thursday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Fever appeared somewhat disjointed in their first two games without Caitlin Clark, who has been sidelined with a left quadriceps strain for the past week. Advertisement However, in Clark's third missed game on Tuesday night, the Fever looked much more composed and secured a much-needed 85-76 win over the Washington Mystics led by Kelsey Mitchell, improving their record to 3–4 on the season. Now, with Clark just over a week into the minimum two-week recovery timeline, some notable news has emerged: she is scheduled to speak to the media on Thursday for the first time since the injury, where she is expected to provide an update on her rehab progress. Fever/Pacers reporter Scott Agness reported, "Caitlin Clark is scheduled to speak with reporters on Thursday to provide an update on her status + recovery after being sidelined with a left quad strain the past three games." Fans quickly reacted to the news, with all eyes now turning to Caitlin Clark as anticipation builds for her return to the court. Advertisement "Hope Caitlin's recovery is on track!" A fan said. Someone else added, "im nervous." Another fan posted, "here we go ccfc...." "Why does this make me nervous," a fan shared. One more fan commented, "Dear Basketball gods if you're listening." Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to the action Saturday, May 24, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.© Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Through the four games she's played this season, Clark is averaging 19.0 points, 9.3 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 40.3% from the field and 31.4% from beyond the arc. This upcoming update is crucial, as it has now been nine days since Clark was ruled out with the injury. If her recovery continues on track, a return could be possible as early as next week. Advertisement Related: Angel Reese Teases Big News Ahead of Chicago Sky's Matchup with Indiana Fever This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
