Overview

• She rebuked Stephen A. Smith for trying to deflect blame after her incorrect NBA Finals prediction, calling out his double standard on accountability.
• She also asserted her place at ESPN, emphasizing her growing presence and dismissing doubts about her on-air role.
• She had previously made a rare appearance during ESPN’s NBA Finals coverage ahead of Game 6 and later picked Oklahoma City to win on ABC’s NBA Countdown.
• At 17, Samantha is establishing herself in entertainment with acting credits on Peacock’s The Best Man: The Final Chapters and Disney+’s Saturdays and ambitions as a screenwriter.
• Her poised on-air moments underscore a supportive yet playful father-daughter dynamic with Stephen A. Smith.