STEPHEN A. Smith made a name for himself by leaving the ESPN studios before his vacation.
The First Take co-host, 56, returned from a three-week break on Monday, only to reveal his return would be brief.
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Upon returning to the show’s New York studio, Smith explained that he chose to “take a break, from my break, to go in and break down people’s emotions and feelings.”
“It’ll only be a few days, then I’ll disappear again.”
Smith’s return lasted three days.
But before his latest absence, the usually well-dressed presenter was seen looking gaunt on his way home from the show.
Read more about Stephen A. Smith
Accompanied by security, Smith returned home wearing an elegant gray plaid suit and light blue shirt.
He completed the outfit with a light gray plaid tie, a bold blue pocket square, sunglasses, and a pair of black Chelsea boots.
Smith’s spot on the First Take set was taken by betting analyst Joe Fortenbaugh to end the week.
He also made some bold fashion choices on the popular sports talk show.
On Thursday, Fortenbaugh wore a bright blue suit and a paisley-print shirt.
Before the weekend, he changed into a simpler gray suit, again choosing a patterned shirt, along with a blue and white checkered pocket square.
Fortenbaugh’s appearances went down a storm with viewers, as well as co-host Molly Qerim.
“Joe Fortenbaugh, I have to say, you really brought it yesterday,” she said on Friday’s show.
“I’m just saying I thought ‘okay, this guy can debate’.”
As for Smith, while he may technically be on vacation, that hasn’t stopped him from working.
He released a new episode of his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show, on Friday.
Stephen A. Smith’s journey through the media
STEPHEN A. Smith is now the face of ESPN and executive producer of First Take, having initially started working for the company in 2003.
Smith has held numerous roles at the network, including radio show host, contributions to SportsCenter and appearance on NBA Countdown.
He was a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1994 to 2010.
He started as an NBA writer before becoming a general sports columnist.
Prior to that, Smith worked as a reporter at the Winston-Salem Journal, the Greensboro News and the New York Daily News.
Among the topics covered were his sky-high Olympic expectations for the star-studded U.S. men’s basketball team, which he said“Better win.”
Smith explained that why this might not be a “team” given their lack of time together compared to their competitors, he felt, “They are so talented that they should be able to make up for the lack of cohesion and chemistry.”
These ultra-talented stars include LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry, among others.
Coached by Steve Kerr, Team USA will make its Olympic debut on Sunday against Serbia – which counts reigning three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic among its ranks.
This will be followed by South Sudan on Wednesday, just 11 days after Kerr and Co narrowly beat their now Group C rivals 101-100 in London.
The USA’s final group game will be held on August 3, when they face Puerto Rico.
It’s unclear exactly when Smith, who has hosted First Take since 2012, will be back on the show to discuss the U.S. Olympic performance.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
