{"id":1308525,"date":"2021-01-28T09:29:31","date_gmt":"2021-01-28T14:29:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1308525"},"modified":"2023-06-22T14:18:34","modified_gmt":"2023-06-22T18:18:34","slug":"espns-stephen-a-smith-once-received-a-massive-piece-of-career-changing-advice-from-kobe-bryant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/espns-stephen-a-smith-once-received-a-massive-piece-of-career-changing-advice-from-kobe-bryant\/","title":{"rendered":"ESPN's Stephen A. Smith Once Received a Massive Piece of Career-Changing Advice From Kobe Bryant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
If you're a sports fan, it's virtually guaranteed that you're familiar with Stephen A. Smith<\/a>. The New York City native has become a major player on the sports media<\/a> scene. It turns out that we can (partially) thank the late, great Kobe Bryant for that reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2006, Smith and Bryant were talking in the green room when the NBA star shared a major piece of career advice. Since then, Smith has kept that message in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you think of professional sports, it's usually the athletes who get top billing. Some members of the media, however, can become legitimate celebrities in their own right. Just look at Stephen A. Smith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smith grew up in New York City but headed south to North Carolina to attend Winston-Salem University<\/a> on a basketball scholarship. While an injury limited his time on the court, Stephen A. started writing. His communication skills, not playing<\/a>, would become his ticket to stardom.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStephen A. Smith's rise to national fame <\/h2>\n\n\n\n