Stephen A Smith gets upstaged on live ESPN as daughter Samantha Smith steals the spotlight before NBA Finals tip-off

In a surprising twist during ESPN’s pregame coverage of Game 6 of the NBA Finals, it wasn’t Stephen A. Smith’s booming voice or passionate takes that stole the show like his usual style.

This time, it was his 17-year-old daughter, Samantha who appeared on camera with her father. While the veteran broadcaster was on air from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, ready to dissect the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers showdown, viewers instead got a rare, lighthearted peek into Smith’s personal life as his daughter made an impromptu on-camera appearance that quickly became the highlight of the night.

Stephen A. Smith’s daughter Samantha Smith’s confident cameo stuns ESPN crew

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Smith and Elle Duncan were warming up the broadcast on the court, Duncan playfully invited Samantha over, joking that it was “Bring your daughter to work day.” Smith, visibly uncomfortable but trying to roll with it, instructed her, “Say hi.” Samantha seized the moment without hesitation: “Hi guys, I’m Samantha.” When her dad pulled the mic away, she clapped back effortlessly, “I’m talking here.”

It didn’t stop there.

“I’m Stephen’s daughter. I’m so happy to be here, I’ve made so many friends. This is really…” she began, only for her father to interject, “You just got here five minutes ago.” Samantha didn’t blink. “This is a really great experience. This is a really great experience and I feel really grateful to be here, you guys,” she continued confidently, leaving the panel and viewers, and of course, his ESPN colleague in awe.Later, NBA Countdown host Malika Andrews brought Samantha back on-air for her game pick.

Going against her father, she declared, “I’m going OKC. I think they’re just going to end it tonight. I think Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] has been killing it all season and he won MVP for a reason. So I think we’re just going to finish it out now.”Smith, after having the candid father-daughter moment, looked both amused and defeated as his colleagues teased, “We much prefer her pick over yours.” He questioned, “You’re going against your daddy on live television?” to which Samantha shrugged and replied, “I think he knows I’m right.”

Eventually, he admitted, “She usually beats me on predictions.”Also Read: "He's miserable": Fans slam Stephen A. Smith for "obsessing" over LeBron James months after their controversial confrontationIt was indeed a rare father-daughter moment, aired live on ESPN which offered fans a charming look at the personal side of one of the network’s most intense voices. As Smith once said on The Breakfast Club, “My daughters are everything to me… I’m very happy and proud of the father I am.” That love was clear Thursday night, even if Samantha completely upstaged him.