Stephen A. Smith Reveals He Almost Died From COVID-19

January 17, 2022

Stephen A. Smith says the vaccine ultimately saved his life.

Stephen A. Smith revealed to the world that he had been diagnosed with COVID-19 back in December, right before Christmas. At the time, Smith's voice was a bit shaky and there were concerns that perhaps he shouldn't be doing any television appearances. After covering the NBA's Christmas Day slate, Smith was ultimately missing in action in regards to First Take, and fans were very curious as to where he was and whether or not he was doing okay.

Today, Smith made his grand return to the show, and it was quite the appearance as he was able to spend the vast majority of his time critiquing the Dallas Cowboys. However, the biggest revelation came at the top of the show, when Smith revealed his experiences with the virus. Essentially, Smith was hospitalized with double pneumonia, and he even almost died. This then led to Smith's recommendation to get vaccinated, as he feels as though he would have died had it not been for the jab.