Felt anything missing when watching the recent segment of ESPN’s ‘First Take’ to catch up on your daily dose of basketball-related news? Something that was always there whenever you tuned in to the show every day earlier? Of course, there was a gap in that analyst seat that is majorly occupied by Stephen A. Smith. That was a rare sight indeed, given how it is usually so hard for sports enthusiasts to take a break from the sportscaster. But where is the man who finds himself in every issue that goes around?

From First Take to his podcast, to NBA Finals coverage, to even a cameo on Law and Order and a recurring role in General Hospital, the guy is just everywhere. So, if you’re worrying about Smith’s whereabouts, then don’t. Everyone deserves a break, and given the work Smith does, he most certainly qualifies for that rest.

Where is Stephen A. Smith?

A few days ago, ESPN BET’s associate director of communications, John R. Manzo, announced that “Stephen A. is actually on a well-deserved vacation into July, yet the conversation hasn’t stopped. A reminder his influence doesn’t take a day off.” His message on X was in response to one of Awful Announcing’s latest opinion pieces titled “America needs a vacation from Stephen A. Smith”. Well, this is either called ‘True Manifestation’, or just a simple coincidence.

ESPN further highlighted that Smith is taking a break until nearer the start of the NFL season. “I’ll have a greater appreciation for it come NFL season when I’m back,” said Smith. “Because obviously I’ll be fresh, refreshed, ready to roll, and I’ll have an even greater appreciation then than I do of it now.” Despite signing a new record $100 million ESPN contract, the sportscaster’s role in the NBA coverage is set to be reduced a bit.

After all, from the next NBA season onwards, the ‘Inside the NBA’ crew of Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson Jr. is coming to ESPN! However, moving forward, Smith is reportedly expected to play a bigger role in ESPN’s NFL coverage. Therefore, before that happened, the sportscaster needed a vacation to relax and spend some of that $100 million.

We don’t know where Stephen A. Smith is going. However, wherever he goes, we are sure he and his family (if they are going) will travel first class. Fans might still remember how Smith literally walked off the set after finding out Dan Orlovsky flew him and his wife ‘coach’ to Hawaii. He can’t be a hypocrite after doing something like that now, can he?

When will Stephen A. Smith return?

While Stephen A. Smith was gone from ‘First Take’ and other ESPN shows, he was still able to shoot another episode of ‘The Stephen A. Smith Show’. After going into detail about the recent updates in the world of US Politics, taking a shot at his critics, and touching base on the NBA & WNBA, he finally revealed that “so I’m going to take a break. Get myself rested, get back in the shape that I was in before they had me on the road for the last three months, where I’m eating a bunch of fast foods, and compromising my rest, and eating too many burgers, and too much sugar, and all. I got to get back. Restore my energy, so I can address folks with the fervor that they deserve in the future”.

Unfortunately, Stephen A. Smith did not reveal his return date on any other platform other than SiriusXM. It was only back in June when the sportscaster announced that he would host and executive produce two new, original shows on the platform. According to Smith, he will return from his vacation before he has to get to Sirius XM starting “September 2nd”.

The NFL season is not set to start until September 5th. However, it is not yet confirmed whether he will return to ESPN around that time itself, or whether he will be present from the first Preseason Week, which begins on August 1st. During the episode, Smith also revealed that “I’ll be around periodically right here over the digital airwaves of YouTube, looking forward to talking to y’all as stuff unfolds during the summer”. Which means that Smith will not be taking a break from his YouTube channel. Either way, the sportscaster has one full month of rest awaiting him. Let’s hope he keeps updating his fans about the same, but not add any beach pictures in the posts!