Meet Stephen A. Smith's 2 Daughters! All About Samantha and Nyla

As a sports analyst, Stephen A. Smith does not hold back, but when it comes to his daughters — Samantha and Nyla — he prefers to keep matters to himself.

The broadcaster didn't reveal that he was a father until 2019, when his two children were already 11 and 10. Smith told GQ that he credited his kids for helping him find a "new lease of life" following the death of his mother, Janet Smith.

“It's a blessing, but that love is also a curse because you're never, ever, ever at peace," he said.

Although Smith is a passionate basketball fan and a dedicated supporter of the New York Knicks, he told GQ that Samantha and Nyla aren't obligated to root for his favorite team. The TV personality also revealed that his daughters cannot watch his show, First Take, without getting his permission first because, as he told GQ, "I might wanna go off.”

While promoting his book Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes on The Breakfast Club in 2023, Smith spoke about the importance of fatherhood.

"My daughters are everything to me," he said. "I make sure that they are taken care of first. [My mom] was proud of the father I am and I'm very happy and proud of the father I am."

Here's everything to know about Stephen A. Smith's daughters: Samantha and Nyla.

Samantha A. Smith

Samantha will always have her father in her ear, at least according to Smith.

On The Jennifer Hudson Show in 2023, when Samantha was in her early teens, the dad of two said that he wants both his daughters to think of his advice when they start to date and go off to college.

"You can't be with them 24/7, so you embed in their brain your presence to a point where it's so repetitive that they can't escape your voice," Smith explained, adding that his late mother taught him this parenting trick.

When he isn't giving words of wisdom, Smith supports Samantha's acting career. After she starred in Peacock's The Best Man: The Final Chapters, the actress attended the premiere with her father at the Hollywood Athletic Club in December 2022.

The following year, Samantha appeared on the Disney+ series Saturdays. She's no stranger to the network, though. Her first voiceover commercial was filmed for Disney when she was 9, and a year later, she was cast in a Pop-Tarts commercial, according to her IMDb.

When Samantha is not working, she manages her school’s theater productions. She is also a writer with dreams of one day creating her own series.

While on The Breakfast Club in 2023, Smith shared how having kids changed his life. "My two beautiful daughters have made me a much better man and human being and made me far, far, far more compassionate than I ever thought I would be," he said.

Nyla Smith

Smith has shared that there are only two people he refuses to argue with: Samantha and Nyla, and the girls team up against him to get what they want.

In a 2021 piece he wrote for Men's Health, Smith recalled one night when his daughters wanted to watch TV in his room because of his nicer setup (a.k.a. bigger bed and TV), but it meant keeping him awake. After the sports commentator denied them permission, they tried a different approach.

"Nyla would pull her sister into their bedroom and huddle like she was Tom Brady about to call a play," Smith penned. "Then Nyla would deliver the bomb: ‘Okay, Daddy. We won’t bug you any longer. We’ll just grab some chips to eat and lie down right here on your beautiful white couch.’ “

Eventually, this tactic paid off, and the girls were able to watch TV with their dad. The broadcaster said his daughters' persuasive skills can sometimes leave him feeling powerless, but his pride makes up for it.

"To me, the only thing potentially more enjoyable than seeing my children safe, healthy, and happy is knowing that I’ve helped make them that way," he added. "And when I fulfill those needs and desires, at no other time does my chest protrude so much with pride and joy."

Smith has also involved Nyla in his world. The father-daughter duo stepped out together in October 2023 to sit courtside for the WNBA finals.