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Terms and conditions apply. Visit blueapron.com/slash terms for more. This is Jane Pauley. Stephen A. Smith is a popular sports journalist, radio host, TV personality, and actor, known for his bluntness.
He certainly didn't hold back in this conversation with Sunday morning's Robert Costa. You're going a mile a minute. We've been tracking you for weeks, show after show, appearance after appearance. You ever slow down, Stephen? And say, what would the kid from Hollis Queens think about all of this, the success?
No. I don't. The reason why is because I've had a lot of struggles. in my life, in my adult life. And because I've had those struggles, Um To me, stopping scares me.
Uh it it teases complacency. Hints towards it, and that's not something I believe I can afford to do.
So much so that My family, my friends, my loved ones all share the same concerns. Do you slow down? When do you stop? etcetera, etc. But I keep on going and um What is it?
What's the drive, the motor that keeps you going? To be the best, if not one of. to have a profound impact. on our society as a whole for people to know who I am. and to know that what I say, how I feel, and how I present myself.
in expressing those things has value. And I think that those things are incredibly important because ultimately it provokes change, if not thought at the very least, which could ultimately provoke change. And the idea of pulling that off is incredibly exciting to me. I think the advantage that I have is that I'm excited. every day.
that I do what I do. I think the challenge for me, it's being that guy that you can rely on. I don't want somebody to look at a show and say, wow, that was a great show. I like them to look at my shows and say, it's a great show. Meaning, it's something that you can depend on, it's something that's continuous.
I think the problem that I have is that. I really, really never look at myself. as having won. I look at myself as a winner because of the process I'm willing to endure to achieve success. But I'd never stop and say, I've won.
The closest I came to that. was when I bought a home in New Jersey. And then again when I bought a home in Florida, and I looked in the back yard. And I was like. Mommy would love this.
Because my mother was my everything. You've often said that even when you got the big homes, you still always wanted to come back to your mother's home when she was alive. Yeah. And just stay in that bedroom. Loved it.
I mean it's There's nothing um There's nothing in life For me personally, I mean I love being a dad. I'm absolutely in love with my daughters. Um And we all know if you're a parent and you're a loving parent. that there's nothing that moves you more. than your child.
Or your children. For me though, before any of that happened. I had mom. And my mother was the greatest human being I've ever known. And You know, she was, um It's just hard to put into words.
How special she was. It's been eight years. Yeah. Yeah. From You think about her every day?
Every day. Every day. Um there isn't a day that goes by. That I don't think about her. I remember I cried every day for two years.
It's the only time in my life I ever went to therapy, I ever felt I needed therapy. And The irony now is that When I think about going back to therapy, because I think about that now, the only reason I think about it is because of her. because I can't get over How much I miss her. She told you never to be a victim. Um never to complain.
Well, she didn't say never to complain. She said, don't live in those complaints. You're allowed to have a take. You're allowed to have a take. You know what I'm saying?
You're allowed to go through those things, but. She was like, um She was one of those people that, you know what, life Is life and it's not going away, and you got to learn to deal with adversity. And she did all of those things. Even though she feels Otherwise, I would say The one thing she never prepared me for. was to lose her.
Because I just There are so many people. I'm very, very blessed to have the people around me that I have. I have a lot of loving people, I have a lot of love in my life. And The people who love me, the people that work with me, the people that work for me, the people that I work for, my family, you know, my relationships, fatherhood, all of this other stuff. I have a lot of love.
But Nothing quite measures up. to the love that I have. For my mama. And I could, it doesn't matter what's going on, I can go to Hollis. You just go to Hollis.
Go to Hollis. I can go to Hollis. I don't care what it was I was going through. If I went to Hollis, Just to lay down. and my mother was there.
It could be in the morning. She's cooking me some eggs, some my my my bagel. and some scrambled eggs and giving me my hot tea. It's just if it's the evening, It could be whatever dinner she's making, but she's gonna make me my beef patty, she's gonna make me my coconut tart or something like that. being around her.
was all I needed. I didn't need anything else. She believed in you. She does. She saw something.
Well, she saw tenacity, she saw work ethic, she saw a never-say-die attitude, she saw a person that, you can knock me down, but I won't stay down. She saw all of those things. Um But for me, what she didn't see, and I don't think she realized, that It was because of her. It was because I was climbing, I was scratching, and I was clawing because The life that I've built for myself now. was what I was envisioning so she could have it.
And that is the part that You know, I don't talk about it much or anything like that, but that's the part that a lot of people Um They don't really really understand. And I don't expect them to. It's not something that I talk about, and it's not something I anticipate they'd comprehend. I can afford a nice house. I mean, I could literally right now My mother wanted a cruise a year.
I got to send her on about three a year. I got to send her on about 30 to 35 cruises in our lifetime. You know, she never had a diamond ring. I got to buy her that. She always wanted a mint coat just to have one.
And I was able to get her that, but. You know, my mother wanted a house in St. Thomas. I could get her that now. She wanted to be, in her world, she would want to be on a cruise every month.
I could do that for her now. And for her, not to be here. The hard part about everything that I'm achieving is that The person. that I wanted to enjoy the fruits of my labor the most. It was her.
Because even though I want that for my children, They haven't suffered. They've never known suffering. because they've only been on this earth 17 and 16 years respectively. My mother. suffered.
And For me to be in a position to alleviate so much of that and to make sure that she enjoyed the latter years of her life. was my dream and I was able to do that somewhat. but not to the degree that I would be able to do now. And so when people tell me to smell the roses, I never thought about the roses. The only roses I've ever thought about were the roses that I was bringing to her.
And that's not the case anymore and Sometimes it is a struggle, but it's the major, major time. That I'm struggling a lot because people want me to enjoy something that I can't enjoy because even when I'm at my height, all I think about is that she's not here to share it with me. How do you protect the spirit of Hollis Queens? Inside you as you climb the ladder.
So many people get success, they ingratiate. They don't have feuds with other public figures. They don't raise their voice. They just kind of keep climbing. You have.
been as combative as ever. As you've climbed the ladder.
Well, I've been combative, but I've also been those other things too. I've been calm, cool, and collective. You've called yourself a corporate operator, too. You know how to navigate these big corporations? I do know how to navigate because I understand that I'm not the ultimate power.
I'm not the ultimate power broker. Listen. ESPN has blessed me. With you know, to live an affluent life. to achieve things I never thought that I would achieve in my life.
That does not happen if it's n if it's not for Bob Iger. You built a part of the world. If it's not for Jimmy Petaro, if I don't get their blessings, doesn't happen.
So for me, remembering that is important. Just as much. Certainly, I wouldn't compare anybody to God, and I wouldn't compare anyone to my mother. But outside of those two. You know what?
You still remember. people who've done stuff for you and For them to believe in me and to place the faith in me, that's what I should be holding on to more than what I have. It's not what, it's the why. Why do you believe they made you the face of ESPN? I don't know if they've made me the face of VSPN.
I don't even try to consider myself that half the time. I work. I put in the work and the people decide who the face is. I would tell you they recognize that. And they've rewarded me accordingly.
But I believe. And I take credit for this, I've proven I'm trustworthy. In other words, I'm not the kind of guy that's going to take the money and run. I'm not the kind of guy that's working my tail off, and then all of a sudden I got the money, so suddenly I'm not gonna work my tail off. The same things that I did.
to achieve what I achieved. I will strive to continue to do plus elevate on top of that. to make them not out to be liars.
Now, hopefully over the next four and a half years, I'm able to pull that off. But that is clearly the goal. What's next for you? Show after show, success after success, contract after after contract. What's next for you?
in this journey. To be elite at what I'm doing? What does that mean? to be recognized universally as one of the best ever. And what I do in the same process.
um to explore where we go from here. Could you run for president? It's possible. Would you run as a Democrat? Yeah, because I couldn't see myself.
running as a member of the GOP. I'm a fiscal conservative. I can't stand high taxes. But I'm a social liberal. In the same breath, because I believe in living and let live.
I pay attention to the desolate and the disenfranchised. Yes, I like strong borders. That's absolutely true. We never needed open borders, but we don't need it to be completely closed either. We're a gorgeous mosaic.
Sounds like you're getting a stump speech ready, Stephen. No, there's no stump speech, but I can give it, I can tell you this much: I can give a speech without a note in front of me. Could you be competitive in a Democratic primary?
Some big names might run. Gavin Newsome, the California governor. Among many others. in terms of their intellect, Um in terms of Where their heart lies in terms of the service that they want to provide to this country. but ultimately your actions speak louder than anything.
Gavin Newsom is somebody that I think has tremendous potential if he moves towards the center. but ultimately affordability. with taxes in the state of California, the homelessness, the crime. He's going to have to answer those questions, being a prisoner to the environmentalist out there. He's going to have to answer those questions.
You are. You know, you're somebody like Joshua Pierre. Wesmoore, I have profound admiration for both. I would support any one of them. But when I think about Josh Shapiro, I think about pro-Palestinian supporters that felt That he was excessive in his support for Israel, how much votes would he get in a general election when you have people throughout this country that have been shifting somewhat to that side?
Not totally, but to some degree. I think about Wes Moore. I wonder if the Barack Obama element would hold him back. A black president, okay, is America ready for another one? How would you handle race if you got into the contest?
I would be who I am. Would you worry about racism if he ran for president? No. I know it exists. I know that you can't escape it.
But I do not believe it is as prevalent. As some on the left would like us to believe, I do believe a vast majority of Americans judge you on the content of your individual character rather than the color of your skin. I think a lot of people in America, especially in this day and age, now more so than ever before. It's not about race. It's about the fact that they don't give a damn about it because they got their own problems.
That's entirely different than believing they are superior to you and they want to hold you back from ascending. That's not what's going on to the degree that it was decades ago. What's going on now is that we have more white Americans and others suffering and worried about the state of our nation. And because they're concerned about that, that's where. Their worries lie.
A lot of them watch you, listen to you. I know. I'm aware. Let him keep listening. I'm not going away.
Has the Trump presidency changed everything in terms of a celebrity? Thinking about the White House. 10 years ago, Stephen A. Smith from ESPN running for president. People go, What are you talking about?
But now, This time around people go, hey, that's America. I'm not going to say his name because I don't want to violate his trust. But I had a governor say this to me. who's actually encouraged me to run. And what he said to me was, The work is tough, but not as tough as you think.
The real work comes from the states. He said the presidency is not just a statesman position. But it's a bullhorn. To utilize On behalf of American citizens everywhere, to make sure that the politicians below the Oval Office. Do what they're supposed to do in the best interest of the country, if not be called out for it.
So, if you're a senator, if you're a representative, if you are in law enforcement, if you are in the judiciary, if you are a governor, if you are a mayor, if you are a councilman or assemblyman or woman, et cetera, et cetera. Are you doing your job? in the best interests of the people you represent. That's where the president comes in. as the constant, incessant, tireless, tenacious reminder.
that you are supposed to be looking out for America. Let's make sure we're doing that. He said, you got corporations all over the place. You listen, they have CEOs. CEOs are not entrenched in the muck and mire of the everyday workmen.
10 layers below them. They're overseers. that makes sure There's a plan. There are personnel in place to execute those plans, and everybody's eye is on the ball to make sure we're doing what we're doing that's in the best interest of the company. Why would you give all this up?
That's also for the president. Why would you give all of this up, all of this money, success, notoriety? But I didn't say I would. That's the reason why I've never announced that I'm running. Will you make a decision by the end of 2026?
I will make a decision in early 2027, but I am not ruling it out. because I expect a lot of success to come my way and Lord help everybody. If the amount of success comes my way ensures that I never have to worry about my quality of life ever again. We'll have more from our Sunday morning extended interview after this break. She loves it hot.
He loves it cold.
However you sleep, the pod by 8 sleep adapts to you. Get up to $350 off with code DEEPSLEEP. at eight sleep.com. What do you think your mother would advise you to do at the end of 2026, early 2020? My mother would have a heart attack.
If you ran? She wouldn't want me anywhere near politics because. of how evil it can be. It's a rough business. Your business is rough, but politics.
How disingenuous it could be or whatever, I would focus on the change that I'd have the ability to facilitate making. It wouldn't be me alone. I'd have to have an exceptional staff, and I'd have to have some tireless, committed people. determined to make America better. And so that's certainly something that I would definitely consider.
I would tell you though, my mother always knew. That I was interested in politics. What a lot of people don't realize is that since I was a kid, I was watching Ted Coppel with ABC News Nightline. I'd watch Peter Jennings' world news tonight. I'd watched Tim Russeton meet the press.
I watched all of that stuff. I'd watch. Whether it was gubernatorial, mayoral, or presidential debates, like it was the Super Bowl or the NBA Finals, I've always, always loved that stuff. I'm not an aficionado by any stretch of the imagination. I'm certainly not a genius or anything like that, but I'm a conscientious observer.
I'm a voter. And most importantly, I'm not one who's ever thought about just my community. I'm a proud black man. I love my people. And I would always do what I thought was in the best interest of my community.
But in the same breath, I'm a proud American and I would make sure to look out, to do the best of my ability to look out for everybody. And to make sure that whites and Hispanics and Asians and everybody in between, Jewish folks, Catholics, folks, Christians, non-denominational, I don't care who it is, I would make sure everyone knew. I care about America's overall health and well-being. not one particular group. And I think that that's mandatory.
In order to be a president of the United States, if you're somebody that just thinks about one group of people. you're not fit for office. And I would never be that person. Never. You're known for your honest, sometimes brutal takes.
What's your take? President Trump. Mm. I think that's I don't like What I'm seeing But everything That he does is not wrong. The borders needed to be closed.
He was right to do that. but only because Biden opened them. Had Biden followed Barack Obama's Method and his plan, and what he did in deporting even more people than Trump did in his first term. You wouldn't hear me saying that. But when you let anywhere from 12 to 15 million people cross the border illegally, Swearing in our face, spitting in our face while telling us it's raining, figuratively speaking, by telling us there was no border crisis when clearly there was.
emergency efforts were necessary.
Now, do I like what I'm seeing in the streets of America in terms of ICE grabbing people up, snatching people off the streets, detaining folks? No, I do not. Do I like them saying, hey, we're going after the criminals and come to find out? Your definition of criminals is anybody who crossed the border legally, as opposed to the impression you gave us that these were real bona fide criminals that was doing harm to American citizens. No, I don't like that either.
And there would be some modifications that took place, but make no mistake about it. We wouldn't have a border crisis under my watch. Hell no. We wouldn't have this crime that exists in the streets of New York. You wouldn't hear about me saying defund the police.
We ain't defunding any police. I'm calling 911 when there's a problem. I know you're calling 911 when there's a problem. I'll be damned if I'm going to have less police officers out there, there's going to be more. That's me.
I would focus On A flourishing economy and making sure we did everything we could because I believe when you have something to lose, you know how to behave. When you have something to lose, you know how to behave. If you have nothing, you have nothing to lose. And as a result, you're willing to tear down anything. Even if it's America, because you feel betrayed by a country that's supposed to be looking out for you and positioning you to thrive instead of wallow in misery and suffering.
So, of course, I would pay attention to the economy. I would pay attention to all of those things. But I think, in the end, when I look to answer your question directly about President Trump, everything he does is not wrong. But a lot of things he's done is not right. I don't know about the tariff wars.
Okay, I think ICE and their behavior is excessive. Are you looking out for small businesses in this country? That makes up a chunk of our economy. How much have you been padding your own damn wallets? How many deals overseas are you gonna make?
We get these pledges. Where's the proof? Is the money coming? Is it really gonna stir the economy the way you say it will? Why hasn't the war in Russia?
Between Russia and Ukraine, been resolved yet. You said you resolve it on day one, that hasn't happened.
So there's a lot to complain about when it comes to him. I just don't believe that the way to go about addressing it. is denigrating and excoriating our commander-in-chief. when he's the one. That 77 million plus people voted for to represent the United States of America.
I think it's counterproductive, and I think ultimately it works against us. You come out of a tradition of sportscasters going back to Howard Cosell. Do you think about him sometimes and 'Cause I idolized him. The two people that I idolized most in the world of sports were Howard Kosell and Brian Gumbel. And one of the great, great blessings that I have in my life right now is that Brian Gumbel is one of the people I communicate with.
Because whatever it is that I want to do, whatever it is that I have done. He was a strong, strong source of inspiration because of his brilliance and his versatility. Whatever it was in the world of broadcasting that you needed. to be done. Brian Gumbel could do it.
and he did it with the gold standard label attached to it. I revered that man. I think that he is one of the greatest to have ever touched this industry. And it is an absolute honor and a privilege anytime I get a text message from him saying, What's up, young brother? How are you doing?
I love that man, and I love what he's done for this industry. And to me, it is not said enough. He did NFL, he did the NBC Today, he did, you know, so many different things. He did HBO with Real Sports. He is a gold standard, if ever there was one.
And the fact that he is fond of me. gives me reason to believe that I'm doing something right. because I know what a standard bearer he is. And him and Howard Kosell were the two people that I idolized most growing up. You're having so much fun with sports.
I do wonder if you get into politics it's not as fun. I cover this stuff. Not as fun. Right.
Well, again, but you're making a difference. And I've been doing sports for 30 years. I'm never tired of sports. I'll never leave sports, whether officially or unofficially, I will always be involved in sports. It made me what I am as a professional and helped elevate me as a man.
So there will always be an incredibly strong appreciation for what the world of sports has done for me. when millions of people, if that were to be the case, come to you. and they say that they believe that you're the one. that can make their lives better. in this country.
You just can't sit back and ignore that. It doesn't mean I'm going to do it. It doesn't mean I'm going to accept it. But as my pastor, A.R. Bernard, from the Christian Cultural Center in New York, said to me.
You owe them the respect to think about it. to not rule it out. because you don't know what God has planned for you. And you have to think about it along those lines. I know me well enough to know that I'm not compromising my quality of life.
for it. Because I still have daughters to put through college, and I still have a life that I want to live. But in the same breath. If My success afforded me the luxury of not having to be concerned about my quality of life. And that combined with millions of Americans saying, We see all of these candidates out there.
You're the one. Then I'd have to think about it. And I have to tell you, it's not something I'm inclined to run from. You watch General Hospital to relax?
Well, yes, I do. A matter of fact, it's almost mentor. A matter of fact, it's so bad with me in General Hospital. I think that I would mandate that I not be bothered. Whether it's on the East Coast from three to four, whether it's on the West Coast from two to three, whatever time it comes on, and whatever locale I'm in.
I would almost mandate that I'm not to be bothered during that hour. What is it about General Hospital? I've been watching this since I was eight years old. It's just a calming. I love it.
I love it. I love it. And now that I have a recurring role on the soap opera, I've been on there for over seven years. I mean, it's an incredible honor. To work for the show.
And it is very relaxing because it's the one time during the day. I don't find my brain. Just running all over the place, multitasking, thinking about a thousand things. When I'm watching General Hospital, everybody knows, especially my sister Sumatra, she tries to warn people, tell them, just leave him alone. Don't bother him because he's here.
He's stuck on this. This is where he's focused. She's absolutely right. When I'm watching General Hospital, I'm not thinking about anything but General Hospital. And when somebody calls me or interrupts me, I'm like, what?
What do you want? You know what I'm saying? I get a real, real attitude.
So I wouldn't rule out. that if I was in the Oval Office, that somebody would see me with my feet kicking up watching General Hospital from three to four, and if they said to me, something's going on, you gotta handle this, this is an emergency, I'd be like, now? You can't wait till 4 o'clock? I might do something like that because of General Hospital, yes. I'm Jane Pauley.
Thank you for listening. And for more of our extended interviews, follow and listen to Sunday Morning on the free Odyssey app. or wherever you get your podcasts. It is my great honor to welcome you all to Starfleet Academy. There's never been a better time to enroll in Star Trek.
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